Music Has a Powerful Influence

Music has a powerful influence on emotions and mood, and even on thought processes. Both the instrumental and the lyrical dimensions of music can influence a listener's emotions. Minor tonalities can seem sad, offering a "misery loves company" sensation. This is why many listeners feel better after listening to death metal and other darker forms of music. Other listeners need more directly uplifting songs, melodies, and lyrics to affect changes in mood. The cheerful pop music hits from the 1960s are examples of songs that convey a happy-go-lucky message.

Dance music is almost by definition uplifting, as it is composed to inspire people to move their bodies with joy. Current dance tracks have their roots in disco, which was influenced in turn by soul and original rhythm and blues. For example, the disco hit "I Will Survive," made most famous by Gloria Gaynor, is an emotionally uplifting disco era song. The empowering lyrics are matched by the instrumentation, which is simple and yet inspiring.

The song has been sampled liberally because even just a few verses of "I Will Survive" evoke positive emotions in listeners. The lyrics of the song tell a story about an abusive relationship and a woman who tries to extricate herself from it. Because of this, "I Will Survive" reflects Maslow's hierarchy of needs perfectly. First, the lower survival needs such as the physiological, safety, and love needs, are fulfilled by an individual's engagement in an intimate relationship.

Sex and sexual intimacy are alluded to, as well as the sentiment, "I've got all my life to live, I've got all my love to give." Moreover, the song refers to the fears that may arise when a person does not have those needs fulfilled: "Kept thinkin I could never live without you by my side." Because the vocalist is a female, it can be assumed that the woman in the abusive relationship was financially dependent upon a man who did not love her in return.

Lyrics like these could be depressing but are instead used to convey a strong message of personal growth and empowerment. The repetition of the title line, "I will survive" suggests increased self-esteem. Ultimately, the lyrics of "I Will Survive" encourage self-actualization, the peak of Maslow's needs hierarchy. Getting out of an abusive relationship does require a great degree of courage.

The individual had once invested his or her self-esteem into the relationship, depending on the other person not just to meet the needs of sexual intimacy but also love, approval, and even financial security. Breaking free from the bondage of abuse is a step towards self-actualization, an empowering moment that affirms independence and personal power. Beyond the theme of abusive relationships, "I Will Survive" can apply to almost any life situation, which is why the song has uplifted so many listeners.

Even those who do not listen to all of the lyrics except for the title verse can listen to the song to get through difficult times in.