Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), better known as Gloria Gaynor, is a… Read Full Bio ↴Gloria Fowles (born September 7, 1943), better known as Gloria Gaynor, is an American singer-songwriter born in Newark, New Jersey, USA. She is best-known for her disco era hits "I Will Survive" (Hot 100 #1, 1979), "Never Can Say Goodbye" (Hot 100 #9, 1974), "Let Me Know (I Have A Right)" (Hot 100 #42, 1980) and "I Am What I Am" (Hot 100 #82, 1983). Some of her other hits include "I Never Knew", "Just Keep Thinking About You", "Last Night", "Mighty High", "Be Soft With Me Tonight", "Strive", "Let's Mend What's Been Broken", "This Love Affair", "Love Is Just A Heartbeat Away" and "Casanova Brown".

Gaynor was a singer with the Soul Satisfiers, a jazz/pop band, in the 1960s. Her first solo single was "She'll Be Sorry/Let Me Go Baby" in 1965.

Her first real success came in 1975 with the release of her album Never Can Say Goodbye, which established her as a disco artist. The first side of this album consisted of three disco songs ("Honey Bee", "Never Can Say Goodbye" and "Reach Out, I'll Be There"), with no breaks in between the songs. This 19-minute dance marathon proved to be enormously popular, especially at dance clubs. All three songs were released as singles via radio edits, and all of them became hits. This album was so instrumental in introducing disco music to the public, that many later believed that Gloria Gaynor had been the first artist to record disco music. "Never Can Say Goodbye" became the first song to top Billboard magazine's dance chart - in that sense, she was the first. Capitalizing on the success of her first album, Gaynor quickly released her second album, Experience Gloria Gaynor, later that same year. While this album was also successful, it was not quite as popular as her previous album in the mainstream.

Some of her lesser-known singles, due to lack of recurrent airplay, include "Honey Bee", "Casanova Brown", and "Let's Make A Deal" which all became hits in the clubs and reached the Top 5 on Billboard's disco charts. After her 1976 album, I've Got You, Gaynor shifted from her hit production team to work with other productions. While it seemed like a good move, her subsequent producers did not seem to match Gaynor's vocal approach and style as well. This caused her the albums that followed, such as 1977's Glorious and 1978's Park Avenue Sound, to be regarded as merely good albums instead of excellent albums.

For the next few years, Gaynor would only enjoy a few moderate hits. However, in late 1978, with the release of her album Love Tracks, she climbed the pop charts again because of her now-signature song "I Will Survive". The lyrics of this song are written from the point of view of a woman, recently dumped, telling her former lover that she can cope without him and does not want anything more to do with him. The song has become something of an anthem of female emancipation, and is still a staple of office parties and karaoke nights. The song was awarded the first and only Grammy Award for Best Disco Recording in 1980 (the category was discontinued upon disco's fall from favor shortly afterward). In 1999, Pixar animator Victor Navone used this song to create an alien music video, which for a time, was a minor internet phenomenon.

Interestingly, "I Will Survive" was originally the B-side when Polydor Records released it in late 1978. The A-side, a song called "Substitute", then a recent worldwide hit for South African girl-group Clout, was considered to be more "radio friendly." Radio DJs flipped the record over, and audience response forced the record company to flip the songs, so that subsequent copies of the single listed the more popular song on the A-side. In late 1979, she released the album I Have A Right, which contained her next disco hit, "Let Me Know (I Have The Right)", featuring Doc Severinsen of The Tonight Show fame on trumpet solo.

Even though she exprienced difficulty having hit records in the U.S. after "I Am What I Am", the majority of her subsequent single chart on the UK Singles Chart. During the late 1990s and the 2000s, Gaynor returned to the American charts. She issued two albums, 2002's I Wish You Love and 2006's The Answer, that were well received with her fanbase.

Let Me Know
Gloria Gaynor Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Have I won your love or have I lost the fight
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite
I'll take it, I'll make it
Ooh, yes, I will
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah

Listen, listen
I'm livin' each minute with all that I've got
Each breath is important, each heartbeat is hot
That's the way we were way back, you forgot [He forgot, he forgot],
ooh
You leave me so empty, it's makin' me sad
To know that a good thing has turned for the bad
Both of us are here, but where's the love we had
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
Before you touch me one more night
Have I won your love or have I lost the fight
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite
Let me know, let me know

Let me know, let me know, I have a right

To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite

Overall Meaning

In Gloria Gaynor's song "Let Me Know," she speaks about feeling neglected and unsure of the love of her partner. She highlights the lack of emotional intimacy in their relationship, with the partner rushing off to bed after a quick peck without any warmth or kind words. Gloria questions whether her partner dreams of her or someone new, emphasizing her longing for love and commitment. She pleads with her partner to communicate if they truly love her or if she should move on with her life. The chorus of the song stresses her right to know where she stands in the relationship and plan her future accordingly.

The lyrics of the song are emotional and relatable, as many people have experienced the uncertainty and confusion that comes with waiting for their partner to commit. The song's slow tempo and soulful melody enhance these emotions, making the listener feel the longing and desperation that Gloria expresses.

Line by Line Meaning

I get a little peck and you're off to bed
You show no affection and leave me quickly

No warmth, no hug, no kind words are said
You don't show me any love or care when you leave

Will you dream of me or someone new instead, oh
I wonder if you still love me or if you have found someone else

Just love me and mean it, I'll follow you blind
If you truly love me, I will love you unconditionally

Lately I feel like a heart left behind
I feel like you're leaving me behind while you move on

I just can't stand still till you make up your mind
I can't wait forever for you to figure out your feelings

Have I won your love or have I lost the fight
I'm uncertain whether I have your love or not

To plan my future, get on with my life
I deserve to know where I stand in order to move on

Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite
Have an honest conversation with me

I'm livin' each minute with all that I've got
I'm living every moment with all my passion and energy

Each breath is important, each heartbeat is hot
Every breath and heartbeat matters to me

That's the way we were way back, you forgot [He forgot, he forgot], ooh
We used to be passionate and intimate, but you've forgotten that

You leave me so empty, it's makin' me sad
Your lack of love and affection is causing me sadness and emptiness

Both of us are here, but where's the love we had
We're both present, but the love that we once had is missing

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DINO FEKARIS, FREDERICK J. PERREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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01Never Can Say Goodbye5:01

02Midnight Rocker6:09

03Let Me Know7:26

PT7M26S

Gloria Gaynor

04Casanova Brown6:31

05Reach out I'll Be There6:16

06Substitute3:15

07One Number one4:40

08I Will Survive3:16

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Kurt Cobain

6y↑10

I get a little peck and you're off to bed
No warmth, no hug, no kind words are said
Will you dream of me or someone new instead, oh
Just love me and mean it, I'll follow you blind
Lately I feel like a heart left behind
I just can't stand still till you make up your mind
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
Before you touch me one more night
Have I won your love or have I lost the fight
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite
I'll take it, I'll make it
Ooh, yes, I will
Ooh, yeah, yeah, yeah

Listen, listen
I'm livin' each minute with all that I've got
Each breath is important, each heartbeat is hot
That's the way we were way back, you forgot [He forgot, he forgot],
ooh
You leave me so empty, it's makin' me sad
To know that a good thing has turned for the bad
Both of us are here, but where's the love we had
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
Before you touch me one more night
Have I won your love or have I lost the fight
Let me know, let me know, I have a right
To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite
Let me know, let me know

Let me know, let me know, I have a right
To plan my future, get on with my life
Tell me face to face, don't try to be polite