Words & Music:
Kenneth Gamble
Leon Huff
Jerry Butler
I remember my first love affair
Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong
My mamma had some great advice
So I thought I'd put it into words of this song
I can still hear her sayin' it
Boy, Oh, I see you're sittin' out there all alone
Cryin' your eyes out 'cos the woman that you love has gone
Oh, there's gonna be, there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life
Oh, so listen to me get up off your knees 'cos only the strong survive
That's what she said, only the strong survive
Only the strong survive,
Oh you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
Don't go all around with your head hung down
Well I wouldn't let that little girl
No, I wouldn't let her know that she made me feel like a clown
There's a whole lot a girls lookin' for a good man like you
Oh but you'll never meet 'em if you give up now and say that your life is through
Yes she said: Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
You've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Oh, you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
'Cos only the strong survive
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive,
Well, you've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand
Only the strong survive, only the strong survive
Recordingdate: 1969/02/19, first released on: From Elvis in Memphis (album)
Musicians
Musicians who contributed to the first recording of Only the Strong Survive:
(guitar)
(bass)
(drums)
(piano)
(organ)
Others*
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(vocals)
(french horn)
(french horn)
(sax)
(trombone)
(trombone)
(trumpet)
(trumpet)
*Orchestra, overdubs
Availability
Find available albums with Only the Strong Survive.
This soul classic shows Elvis could get away with anything, if he only wanted to.
It doesn't deviate that much from the Jerry Butler original, but that's okay. He still gives it that "Elvis" touch.
I love this song - Elvis singing true soul music. Only wish he would have done more soul classics. Love the original also.
Great lyrics,Great Powerful Performance,And Yes Soulful,Perfect!
This song is absolutely terrific. It was one of my early favorites. I've had the pleasure of speaking to Jerry Butler, who co-wrote the song and brought it to prominence with his version. Mr. Butler is a local Chicago politician. He felt Elvis did a wonderful job with the song. Butler was a great singer in his own right. Just listen to Never Gonna Give You Up and True Love Don't Come Easy. But Elvis took Only the Strong Survive and made it his. From Elvis in Memphis has so many great tracks. This is one I never skip. It's a great exercise in soul music. A genre E could really kill, and I wish he recorded more.
Yeah as they say he could sing the telephone book and I would buy it. What a voice and this one is the soul version used frequently in the Memphis sessions and is a track right up there with a few others at these sessions.
The American Sound sessions should have foreshadowed the start of something big. But, it was downhill all the way after that.
One of the better songs from the Memphis Sessions and there were many, many others from this period worthy of the same 5-stars I give this one. "it was downhill all the way" after these sessions. Unfortunately, if memory serves me right, there was some bad blood between Chips Moran, the producer of these sessions and Elvis' management as to publishing rights; which always seems to be the case. Get something good and Colonel and his crew screw it up. It's a shame. Great song, no if, ands or buts.
Love this song and the album of course. 5 stars. Downhill? TTWIS and "Elvis Country" are as good if not even better. And the new Stax reissue comes very close.
A great song that fits with the adult elvis, and it comes i a sound, that sounded up to date back then. A masterpiece. 5 stars.
Simply the best !! Should had been a hit single !!!!
These are my favorite sessions by Elvis and this song is one of many reasons why. So soulful and you can feel the passion like he was singing about himself. Great song.
Good song, great performance from a tremendous LP. The comment about Elvis going downhill all the way after the American studio sessions is absurd and wrong in every aspect.
5 star classic all the way. I only wish they spliced the ending with another take to give it a longer fade out, it seems to fade suddenly IMO. Such a powerful soulful track.
A gem recording from Elvis, with words that many a boy will relate too. This song and the album is so good even today, never skip this or any track on the full album.