listening: I will survive by Gloria Gaynor

Today we started our English Advanced one level class at the Escuela Oficial de Idiomas de Santander with a listening exercise. We listened to a classic song called I will survive, sang by Gloria Gaynor. We were given a sheet with a wrong lyrics, ie with some phrases intentionally wrong transcribed. These words were mixed among others, all of them highlighted in bold which we had to detect and correct.

Song facts

I will survive was first recorded by Gloria Gaynor and it won her a Grammy Award for ‘Best disco recording’. Though originally about moving on after a bad relationship, over the years the song has taken on meaning for people who have overcome almost any difficult situation, and it is statistically the song most often performed in karaoke.

This is the wrong lyrics:

At first I was afraid, I was terrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you at my side
But then I spent such lonely nights
Thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong and I learned how to get on

So you’re back from outer space
I just came in to find you here
with that mad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid look
I should have made you leave your key
If I’d known for just one second
You’d come back to bother me

CHORUS
Go in now, go out the door
Just turn around now, ‘cos you’re not wanted anymore
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
For as long as I know who to love I know I’ll feel 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

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart,
Though I tried hard to find the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling angry with myself
I used to cry. But now I hold my head up high

And you see me, someone new
I’m not that chained up little person who’s in love with you
And so you felt like dropping in
And just expect me to serve tea
Well now I’m saving all my loving for someone who’s loving me

CHORUS
…

As I haven’t got the original audio, I’ve searched for a media sample in Internet and found out a vintage video of Gloria Gayner singing ‘I will survive’:

After listening to the song three times we caught some of the wrong phrases (10 out of 15) Here are the corrected lyrics:

At first I was afraid, I was terrified I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you at my side by my side
But then I spent such lonely so many nights nights
Thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong and I learned how to get on get along

So you’re back from outer space
I just came in walked in to find you here
with that mad look that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid look
I should have made you leave your key
If I’d known for just one second
You’d come back be back to bother me

CHORUS
Go in now, go out walk out the door
Just turn around now, ‘cos you’re not wanted not welcomed anymore
Weren’t you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I’d crumble? Did you think I’d lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
For as long as I know who to love how to love I know I’ll feel 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

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart,
Though I tried hard to find the pieces mend the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh so many nights
Just feeling angry with feeling sorry formyself
I used to cry. But now I hold my head up high

And you see me, someone new somebody new
I’m not that chained up little person who’s in love still in love with you
And so you felt like dropping in
And just expect me to serve tea to be free
Well now I’m saving all my loving for someone who’s loving me

CHORUS
…

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