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Rating: In fifty, in a hundred years, people will still remember "I Will Survive," I'm sure of it; but only those who really care will remember who sang it, Gloria Gaynor. Is that right or wrong? The heart would say no, it's wrong, Gloria Gaynor is a great singer and has performed plenty of beautiful songs, putting all her vitality and grit into them. True, but thinking about it a bit, the issue is much grayer and more complicated than it might seem. Lots of hard work, getting into the "right circle," the explosion of the disco phenomenon; once that ended, a career badly managed and quickly wrecked, then a bit of revival, living off the earnings and stop; one of the many shooting stars of that brief period, which, however, managed to leave a much more lasting mark than others. The fact is that "I Will Survive" makes me think of the voice, the melodic progression, what a song and especially such a text might have meant in those days and even today, not of music videos with gigantic budgets and media fluff, if you know what I mean. And this is only a good thing as far as I'm concerned; as I see it, that disco-music was a business first and foremost, but a business where first came the music and then, eventually, the performers: the "cult of personality" had not yet reached stifling levels. With all the possible flaws and limitations, it's a system that worked: of "I Will Survive" just like "Staying Alive," "I Feel Love," "Hot Stuff," "Le Freak," and so on, people remember them regardless, the various "Poker Face," "I Kissed A Girl," and stuff like that are remembered (for now...) "thanks" to the brand creation set up around those two divas in question, a media hype without which they would have ended up like a "Candela" by Noelia or any other.
But I don't want to talk about "I Will Survive," no, what could I say that hasn't been said already? As much as she may have been an almost-shooting star, Gloria Gaynor can boast a repertoire of good ones, whose most important characteristic is... hear ye, hear ye, the embellishments. Yes, the embellishments, the frills and trills, the glitter, the details, but placed inside, in the grooves of the LP more than outside. Jim Steinman, someone who knows a lot, applied this modus operandi, this flamboyant "gigantism" within rock, producing certain gems that I won't cite here, and one of the most serious shortcomings of today's pop is certainly the lack of this type of approach, except for some sporadic, mostly purely revivalistic attempts. Opulence, yes, but also genuineness, few useless pretensions, bold and distinctive voices. Today there is less roaring and more meowing, it's more about trying to appear al-theer-na-thiiv than actually producing truly strong tracks; today we have indietronica, you see... isn't that just great? (This last sentence should be read in the voice of Richard Benson in this specific performance, to better convey the idea)
And every now and then, enjoying these grand, skillfully adorned rides, full of backing vocals, strings, and brass, full of tacky yet sincere hedonism, is a true delight. "Honey Bee", with that super sexy buzzing intro, and saying this from someone with an ancient fear of bees is saying a lot, "Let Me Know (I Have A Right)", perhaps the pinnacle and stylistic summa of her entire career, with a slow interlude for the ages, "I Am What I Am", what can one say... And then "How High The Moon", "Never Can Say Goodbye", "(If You Want It) Do It Yourself", "Reach Out, I'll Be There", "We Can Start Over Again" to catch one's breath; there's really little to explain and much to "experience" viscerally, with gut feeling. Then again, viscerally and with gut feeling, okay, but it's not like the brain, at least mine, disdains certain sounds and this approach, quite the contrary. In any collection like this, there are indelible pages of musical entertainment at the highest levels, testimonies of a brief period that maybe was the highest peak ever reached by a certain type of pop music. Down with clowns and posers, long live Gloria Gaynor! Could I have ended with a bit more maturity and elegance? Of course, but what's written is written.
Tracklist Lyrics and Videos
01 I Will Survive (08:01)
At first I was afraid,
I was petrified,
kept thinking I could never live without you by my side,
but then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong,
and I grew strong,
and I learned how to get along!
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've changed that stupid lock,
I should've made you leave your key,
if I had known for just one second,
you'd be back to bother me.
Go 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'd think I'd crumble,
you'd think I'd lay down and die!
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,
I've got all my love to give,
I will survive, I will survive!
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart,
just trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart,
and I spent oh so many nights just feelin' sorry for myself,
I used to cry,
but now I hold my head up high,
and you see me,
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,
but now I'm saving all my loving for someone who's loving me.
Go 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'd think I'd crumble,
you'd think I'd lay down and die!
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,
I've got all my love to give,
I will survive, I will survive!
Go 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'd think I'd crumble,
you'd think I'd lay down and die!
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,
I've got all my love to give,
I will survive,
I will survive,
I will survive!
02 Honeybee (05:59)
Honey
Honey bee
Honey bee
Honey bee
Honey
Honey
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me [your love is sweet as can be]
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me [your love is sweet as can be]
You’re always so busy
Workin’ on love’s honeycomb
Chalk full of sugar down your sweet mouth
Every time you kiss me, boy, really turns me on
You’re always buzzin’, buzzin’, buzzin’
Love is in the air
There’s nothin’ like your lovin’
Boy, it’s beyond compare, yeah
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me [your love is sweet as can be]
You’re my honey bee, yeah [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me [your love is sweet as can be]
There’s so much love power
In everything you bring to me
Whenever I’m snuggled in your arms
The love you bring makes my heart sing
You know love is where you are
There’s where I want to be
When it’s cold outside
You’re honey love’s so good to me
You’re my honey bee, oh, yeah [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me, oh [your love is sweet as can be]
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me, ah [your love is sweet as can be], ow
Ah’
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Come on and sting me, yeah [your love is sweet as can be]
You’re my honey bee [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Sweet love, oh [your love is sweet as can be]
Honey, honey, honey [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Honey bee [your love is sweet as can be]
Sweet love [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Sweet love, give it to me [your love is sweet as can be]
Got to have it, need your love, ah, yeah [you’re my honey bee, baby]
Sweet honey bee, yeah [your love is sweet as can be]
Sweet [you’re my honey bee, baby] love, ah’
[your love is sweet as can be]
You’re my honey bee
03 Never Can Say Goodbye (06:18)
I never can say goodbye
No, no, no, I
I never can say goodbye
Every time I think I've had enough
And start heading for the door
There's a very strange vibration
Piercing me right to the core
It says "Turn around you fool
You know you love him more and more"
Tell me why is it so
Don't wanna let you go!
Chorus
I never can say goodbye boy, uh baby
I never can say goodbye, no, no, no
I never can say goodbye oh no I
I never can say goodbye
I keep thinking that our problems
Soon are all gonna work out
But there's that same unhappy feeling
And there's that anguish
There's that doubt
It's that same old dizzy hang-up
I can't do with you or without
Tell me why is it so?
Don't wanna let you go!
04 Reach Out I'll Be There (06:15)
Now if you feel that you can't go on
Because all your hope is gone
And your life is filled with confusion
And happiness is just an illusion
And your world around is tumblin' down
Darling, reach out
Reach out, for me.
I'll be there to love and confort you...(tell me baby)
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through
Now when you're lost and about to give up
'cause your best just ain't good enough
and you feel the world has grown cold
and you're driftin' on your own
when you need a hand to hold
darling, reach out
reach out, for me.
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there to with the love I'll see you through
I can tell you the way I hang your head
Now with out of love , now you're afraid
And through your tears you look around
But there's no peace of mind to be found
I know what you're thinking
Witout love, now you're alone
Baby, reach out
Reach out for me
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the Love I'll see you through
I'll be there to love and confort you
Tell me baby
I'll be there to always see you through
I'll be there
I'll be there to love and confort you
I'll be there with the love I'll see you through.
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