In 1977, the disco musical Saturday Night Fever was released. He made incredibly popular John Travolta, who played the main role. The soundtrack was released as an album of the same name, enjoyed a resounding success on both sides of the Atlantic and even received a Grammy.
It opens with the composition Stayin’ Alive by the Bee Gees, to which Travolta’s character walks briskly during the title credits of the film.
The story of creation and the meaning of the song Stayin’ Alive
The entire history of the track is directly related to Saturday Night Fever, because the Gibb brothers wrote it specifically for the musical, commissioned by the film’s producer Robert Stigwood, who collaborated with the Bee Gees as a manager.
The song was written in just a few days in the Paris studio Château d’Hérouville. Barry Gibb explained the basic idea of Stayin’ Alive this way:
The theme of the song is very serious – it’s about survival on the streets of New York. This is a song about desperation. But if you managed to survive on the streets of New York, you can survive anywhere. Stayin’ Alive is about that. About the battle with the whole world, with all this abomination that wants to drown you. To survive in such conditions is already a victory. And if you manage to get up, this is practically a feat that will not leave anyone indifferent.
Release and achievements
The recording of Stayin’ Alive was not without difficulties. The group was left without a drummer, who flew to his mother’s funeral. Having not found a replacement for him and having suffered with the drum machine, the musicians used the finished part recorded for the song Night Fever. They cut out suitable passages, glued them together and looped them. In order to fool the audience, the non-existent Bernard Lupe was indicated as the drummer, whom the journalists then tried to find for a long time.
RSO Records demanded that the song be called Saturday Night because that was the name of the movie at the time. But none of the Bee Gees liked this idea, because there were a lot of songs with the word Saturday in the title, and the song Night Fever was already included in the soundtrack for the musical. Stigwood got out of the situation by calling the picture Saturday Night Fever.
The band hadn’t originally intended to release Stayin’ Alive as a single, but as soon as the trailer for the film came out, radio stations started requesting the song all the time, and the decision came naturally. The single topped the charts in the US and many other countries. Over time, Stayin’ Alive has become a hallmark of the Bee Gees.
It is included in Rolling Stone magazine’s list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.
Video of Stayin’ Alive – Bee Gees
The music video has nothing to do with the musical Saturday Night Fever.
Interesting Facts
- The drums from Stayin’ Alive were later used by the band in other songs.
- American doctors have found that the rhythm of Stayin’ Alive almost exactly matches the beating of the human heart, so it is convenient to do chest compressions under it.
Stayin’ Alive Lyrics by Bee Gees
Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I’m a woman’s man: no time to talk
music loud and warm,
I’ve been kicked around
Since I was born
And now it’s all right. It’s OK
And you may look the other way
We can try to understand
The New York Times’ effect on man
chorus:
Whether you’re a brother or whether you’re a mother,
You’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Feel the city breakin’ and everybody shakin’,
And we’re stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive, stayin’ alive
Ah, ha, ha, ha, stayin’ alive
Well now, I get low and I get high
And if I can’t get either, I really try
Got the wings of heaven on my shoes
I’m a dancin’ man and I just can’t lose
You know it’s all right. It’s OK
I’ll live to see another day
We can try to understand
The New York Times’ effect on man
Life goin’ nowhere
Somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Life goin’ nowhere
Somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Stayin’ alive
Stayin’ Alive Lyrics by Bee Gees Alternate
Well, it’s clear from my walk
That I’m a ladies’ man – no time to chat
Loud music, warm women
I was taken around the world
Since birth
And now it’s all right, it’s all right
You can pretend it doesn’t concern you
We can try to understand
How does the New York Times affect a person?
Chorus:
Are you a brother or mother
Are you still alive
Feel the city crumble and everybody dance
And we’re still alive, still alive
Ah ha ha ha, still alive, still alive
Ah ha ha ha, still alive
Well I fall and I rise
And if I fail, I really try
Heavenly wings on my shoes
I’m a dancer and I can’t lose
You know it’s all right, it’s all right
I live one day
We can try to understand
How does the New York Times affect a person?
Life is nothing
Somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Life is nothing
Somebody help me
Somebody help me, yeah
Still alive
