I Will Survive and Mary Wilson

[Circa 1824]

Clearly, I Will Survive has a special meaning to Diana. I often wonder why she recorded it, and why she continues to sing it at every show, despite most fans hating it.

Was it Diana’s message to Mary Wilson and her endless bashing of her?

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart.
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart

[sup_fan]

i think you're reading too much into the lyrics. i think it was just always a favorite song of hers. it's one of the best dance songs ever recorded so one wouldn't have to wonder that she likes it. plus she's always had a special place in her heart for songs with inspirational lyrics and messages.

[Boogiedown]

Clearly, I Will Survive has a special meaning to Diana. I often wonder why she recorded it, and why she continues to sing it at every show, despite most fans hating it.

Was it Diana’s message to Mary Wilson and her endless bashing of her?

It took all the strength I had not to fall apart.
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart

I thought maybe you'd found a version with Mary singing it .....I think she has more of a right to it than Diana ....

Sup: i think you're reading too much into the lyrics. i think it was just always a favorite song of hers. it's one of the best dance songs ever recorded so one wouldn't have to wonder that she likes it. plus she's always had a special place in her heart for songs with inspirational lyrics and messages.

Didn't Diana's version go to #1 in the clubs just when people with HIV were starting to survive thanks to certain meds?

I just looked it up ....it only went to #37 on the disco/dance chart ... I had thought it was a huge rebound record for her ....

[captainjames]

Hmmm Didn't Diana original start the song with this one is for my girls ? I took that as for Rhonda, Tracee, and Chudney but then thought maybe since the video was with Rupaul perhaps to all her gay fans but possibly could also be for anyone who tried to bring her down.

[jobeterob]

i think you're reading too much into the lyrics. i think it was just always a favorite song of hers. it's one of the best dance songs ever recorded so one wouldn't have to wonder that she likes it. plus she's always had a special place in her heart for songs with inspirational lyrics and messages.

I agree with your interpretation

I would also say that while some hard core fans loathe the song, I think it’s a huge concert favourite which is why it stays in the show

One of my favourite Ross songs is the version of All We Do Is Win done by some Martell guy on YouTube - sadly it’s only 33 seconds long

To me, IWS has some similarity to WDFFIL in that they are dancey pop tunes both of which are not hard core fan favourites but which are hugely popular concert tunes and WDFFIL sold a lot of singles and albums

[jim aka jtigre99]

Diana's version of I Will Survive was a decent dance hit. I am sure she thought of many things that she encountered in life and liked the positive message of I Will Survive. I hardly think that she would record the song as a message to Mary Wilson. That doesn't seem logical.
Wilson herself did a slow version in her shows of I Will Survive as a torchy ballad mixed with Free Again. She may have thought of Motown and the Supremes while singing it but I am sure her delivery was more about her ex-husband and being free and surviving their marriage.

[RanRan79]

Wilson herself did a slow version in her shows of I Will Survive as a torchy ballad mixed with Free Again.

She ripped off Gladys Knight's "Free Again/I Will Survive" mashup down to every note. I wonder if Gladys knew. Gladys' version is fire and for me one of the quintessential examples of how to reinterpret a well known song. Mary's version fell flat for me, but it could be because the arrangement was so well known to me by Gladys and done so well by Gladys, that anyone else couldn't help but to pale in comparison.

[marybrewster]

Slow news day.

[daviddh]

Mary Wilson used to sing the ballad version in her act in the 80s..for years..
Diana mentions the song in her 1979 HBO live concert..after singing Home
I love songs like that ....and I Will Survive...
So it was just a song she liked