I've always loved the song "Stayin' Alive." It is one of those songs that I think everyone has heard at least ten times in one lifetime. I've always loved the music on it (and I know it has been sampled time and time again..) However, tonight I've spent some time paying extra attention to the lyrics. I find parts of them really awesome and fascinating!

I was curious, what does the line about "We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man" referring to?

I'm also curious, for a song that is about "stayin' alive" and surviving. Why at the end does it fade saying, "Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me. Somebody help, me, yeah?" On some levels, doesn't that contradict the meaning behind the song?

I'd love to discuss this song's lyrics. Here are the lyrics to this awesome song incase someone wanted to read through them. I put some of my favorite lines in bold.

Feel free to post thoughts, interpretations of the song's meaning, questions or appreciation of the song in general here.


Bee Gees - Stayin' Alive

Well, you can tell by the way I use my walk,
I'm a woman's man: no time to talk.
Music loud and women warm.
I've been kicked around since I was born.
And now it's all right - it's O.K. -
And you may look the other way.
We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man.
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
You're stayin alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin' and ev'rybody shakin'
and we're 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 O.K.
I'll live to see another day.
We can try to understand the New York Times' effect on man.
Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
You're stayin alive, stayin' alive.
Feel the city breakin' and ev'rybody shakin'
and we're stayin' alive, stayin' alive.
Ah, ha, ha, ha, Stayin' Alive.
Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help me.
Somebody help, me, yeah.
Life goin' nowhere. Somebody help, me, yeah.
Stayin' Alive --- (to beginning and fade... Well, you can tell.... )

i always thought they were singing:



it just always made sense to me.

Yay! 2 Bee Gee's threads this month, this must be some kind of record! Keep 'em coming.

Anyway, Eventhough I was tired of hearing "Stayin' Alive" for a while, i've now developed a new appreciation for it.

Speaking of "Stayin Alive" though, Am I the only one who thinks the beginning of the song and MJ's "Billie Jean" are almost identical? The bassline's at the very beginning of the songs sound EXACTLY ALIKE to me . I know Mike is a big Bee Gee's fan though so it wouldn't suprise me if he was influenced by them.
[Edited 4/14/08 22:40pm]

my favorite Bee Gees song

It's funny, cuz, to this day, you can tell by the way I walk that I'm a lady's man.
Seriously.

I love the song, too.

They said they wrote this song for their own record before they knew anything about "Saturday Night Fever". But the lyrics tie in too closely with Travolta's character. I always thought they wrote this song intentionally for the film.

SoulAlive said:

Whether you're a brother or whether you're a mother,
You're SoulAlive, SoulAlive.
Feel the city breakin' and ev'rybody shakin'
and you're SoulAlive, SoulAlive.



.
[Edited 4/15/08 4:14am]

PANDURITO said:

SPYZFAN1 said:

That's correct.The original song was titled "Saturday Night".Presumably,it was about dancing.When they were hired to write songs for the movie,they changed it to "Stayin' Alive",with lyrics that tie in with Travolta's character.

I imagine it's about Life dogging you whereever you go, but you perservere.

Sort of like "I will survive" By Gloria Gaynor.

Thanks Soul! I know I can always count on you when it comes to the "S.N.F" trivia and info. Recieved the 30th Anniversary DVD last X-mas and the new 2007 docu's on there are pretty cool and very informative.

SPYZFAN1 said:

Yeah,I've been wanting to pick up the 30th anniversary SNF set.I already have a previous set,released in 2002,but I really want to see the 2007 documentary you mentioned.

I always thought this was a great song and would suit being re-interpreted in a slowed down blues style...