I Will Survive

"I Will Survive" by Gloria Gaynor has established itself as a staple of glitzy showy music - it quickly conjures images of overdressed showgirls in Vegas or on cruise ships belting its high-energy tune. The song features a full band - drums, guitars, back up singers, strings, etc. The song is a celebration of a woman's independence, a declaration of moving on and bettering oneself.

The band Cake covered this song on their album Fashion Nugget. Their version starts off with an electric guitar which almost sounds like it's not plugged in strumming the chords. The bass and drums - once they get started - keep a constant and even complex backing rhythm. The other instruments and the singer drag behind, giving a lazy or lethargic feel. The band's most significant contribution is changing the singer from female to male. It is very uncommon for men to sing about moving on from hurtful relationships, and in this case switching gender inherently changes the meaning of the song . Instead of the strong powerful woman portrayed in the original, I picture a guy in his apartment with crumbs everywhere watching TV, still adjusting to living post-break up. As the song goes on, the instruments get stronger and fit together better, illustrating the singer's fortitude increasing.

Listen For: Cake's trumpet player soloing what the strings play in the original version. It sounds so reminiscent of the original that at first I thought it was a sample - but the original doesn't even have a trumpet!

-Crosa