I Will Survive | Chords + Lyrics
Intro (piano)
||: E (Fdim7 arpeggio) :|| x3
Verse 1 (no drums)
| Am | Dm7 |
At first, I was afraid, I was petrified.
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side.
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong.
| Esus4 | E |
And I grew strong, and I learned how to get along.
Verse 2 (with drums)
And so you’re back, from outer space.
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face.
I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key.
If I’d known for just one second you’d be back to bother me.
Verse 3
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?
Verse 4
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
I’ve got all my life to live and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
I will survive, hey, hey.
Solo 1
| Am | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | Esus4 | E |
Verse 5
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart.
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart.
And I spent oh-so-many nights just feeling sorry for myself.
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high and you see me.
Verse 6
Somebody new.
I’m not that chained-up little person still in love with you.
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free.
Well, now I’m saving all my lovin’ for someone who’s loving me.
Verse 7
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?
Verse 8 (with held last line)
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
| Esus4 | E | E | E | (ritardando)
I will survive.
Verse 9 (as verse 1)
Oh. Go on now, go, walk out the door.
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
Weren’t you the one who tried to break me with goodbye?
You think I’d crumble? You think I’d lay down and die?
Verse 10 (single fades here)
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
I’ve got all my life to live and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
I will survive. I will survive
Solo 2 (extended version)
| Am | Dm7 | G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 | Esus4 | E |
Verse 11 (same as 5)
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart.
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart.
And I spent oh-so-many nights just feeling sorry for myself.
I used to cry, but now I hold my head up high and you see me.
Verse 12 (same as 6, no strings)
Somebody new.
I’m not that chained-up little person still in love with you.
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free.
Well, now I’m saving all my lovin’ for someone who’s loving me.
Verse 13 (same as 7, no strings)
Go on now, go, walk out the door.
Just turn around now, ‘cause you’re not welcome anymore.
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
You’d think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d break down and die?
Verse 14 (same as 8, no strings, no ritardando)
Oh no, not I, I will survive.
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I’ll stay alive.
I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got all my love to give and I’ll survive.
I will survive. I will survive.
Outro (to fade, with strings and solo first half)
| Am | Dm7 |
| G7 | Cmaj7 |
| Fmaj7 | Bm7b5 |
I’ve got all my life to live, and I’ve got so much love to give and I’ll survive.
| Esus4 | E | (fade)
Yes, I’ll survive. Yeah, I’ll survive.
I Will Survive Chords: Master the Cycle of 4ths and Key Progressions
I Will Survive is a perfect example of a song based on a cycle of 4th chord progressions, offering an excellent opportunity to practice all your chords in the key of Am.
The chord progression moves through a series of steps, giving us a thorough workout. Here’s the full movement with Roman numerals:
||: Am (VI) | Dm7 (II) | G7 (V) | Cmaj7 (IV) |
| Fmaj7 (V) | Bm7b5 (VII) | Esus4 (IIIsus4) | E (IIIx) :||
Note that the last chord, E, is not 100% technically diatonic, though many argue that E major in Am is a better fit than the usual Em. Some would call this the mediant major.
Challenge yourself by playing through the progression, starting in the lowest area of the fretboard and climbing up the neck for each verse. When you can’t go higher, descend back down. Try to maintain the groove and avoid getting lost!
I’ve also created some TAB with rhythm for this exercise. Here’s a direct link to the lesson: I Will Survive – Guitar lesson with TAB.
Can you complete the challenge without losing your way?
I Will Survive Backing Track | Chord Chart
(PDF + iReal Pro)
I made a backing track from the original recording of I Will Survive by using AI to remove the chords. There are two versions of these available at the top of the page, the second one has vocals.
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: I Will Survive chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: I Will Survive iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key, giving you 11 new chord exercises!
I Will Survive might just be the greatest female anthem of all time!
Right up there with classics like Respect and Man! I Feel Like A Woman, I Will Survive by Gloria Gaynor has cemented itself as one of the most iconic female anthems in history.
Since its 1978 release, the song has remained a staple on disco band set lists, and it’s likely to stay there for many years to come. VH1 and Time Out even named it the #1 best Dance and Pride tune of all time.
While some might consider I Will Survive a bit dated today and avoid it because it’s been played so often, try slipping it into your set towards the end of the night when the energy is high. You’ll likely find it still packs the same punch it always has.
If you’re in a disco band or performing at an LGBTQ event, it’s a must-play!
I Will Survive Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: I Will Survive (Gloria Gaynor) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy: