Only the Strong Survive

(Jerry Butler - Kenneth Gamble - Leona Huff)



I remember my first love affair

Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong

And my mamma had some great advice

So I thought I'd put it into words of this song

I can still hear her sayin'.



Girl, oh, I see you're sittin' out there all alone

Cryin' your eyes out 'cause the man that you love has gone

There's gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life

So listen to me get up off your knees 'cause only the strong survive.



That's what she said, only the strong survive, only the strong survive

So you've gotta be strong you'd better hold on

Don't go don't go around with your head hung down

Well, I wouldn't let the little boy know

I wouldn't let him know that he made me feel like a clown.



There's a whole lotta men looking for a good girl like you

But you know you'll never meet 'em

If you give up now and say your life is through.



And then she said, only the strong survive, only the strong survive

If you wanna get a man you've got to take a stand

Only the strong survive.



Only the strong survive, only the strong survive

So you've gotta be strong, you'd better hold on

Don't go don't go around with your head hung down

Well, I wouldn't let the little boy know

I wouldn't let him know that he made me feel like a clown...