John's first record released was under the stage name "Johnny Cougar" at the behest of Tony DeFries, his first manager. Mellencamp claims it was against his knowledge and will, and he hated the name. A few years later in 1982, he made his break through with the album "American Fool" which includes the hit singles "Hurts So Good" and "Jack and Diane" under the stage name "John Cougar". With 1983's "Uh-Huh" album, he added back his real last name to become known as "John Cougar Mellencamp." By 1987's "The Lonesome Jubilee" he dropped the "Cougar" moniker altogether, and has been known henceforth as "John Mellencamp."
Mellencamp has always been socially and politically active and supported the "Vote for Change" Tour in 2004 opposing the policies of President George W. Bush. Mellencamp is a devout evangelical Christian and strongly believes in non-violence; he has spoken about his beliefs frequently in interviews.
Survive
John Mellencamp Lyrics
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Go on and admit it
You can't take it anymore
So why don't you quit it
Your scratching off again
Can't you see it
Well the whole thing was such a surprise
I know you and your hear crazy notions
Your pretty girls and no devotions
Down by the ocean middle class
Down by the gulf side, you let it all slide
But now your saying that you don't
Wanna be a sixteen year old girl, aah
But you don't want to turn twenty-five
You never ever, you never ever lied,
Where you been, aahh
You got to survive to keep yourself alive,
Yeah-ah, yeah
It ain't no big deal if your attitude is wrong
And you don't know how you feel
You just cop someone else's ideas
And masturbate yourself, make them your own
Well I, I don't mean to tell you what to do
Cause I've scratched off myself a time or two
Well it just leaves you blue, with nothing to do
And they think I'm crazy when I stay up all weekend
But now your saying that you don't
Wanna be a sixteen year old girl, oh yeah, aah
But you don't want to turn twenty-five
You never ever, you never ever lied
Where you been, aahh
You got to survive to keep yourself alive
Yeah-ah, my na na no, yeah
So if I'm walking down the street and you see me
Don't walk on by, say hey man
You know your looking, your looking so fine
You don't have to mean it, no no
Its just one of the regular lies that we've lived with
And this is a love song and
I'm writing it just to survive
John Mellencamp's song "Survive" was released on his 1983 album, "Uh-Huh." The song speaks of the difficulties that arise in life and how even with all the ups and downs, one must simply survive to keep oneself alive. Mellencamp sings about people who can't take it anymore and who scratch off and let things slide. He talks about people who have crazy notions and blindly follow the ideas of others, instead of creating their own. Mellencamp points out that copying others leaves one feeling blue and with nothing to do.
In the chorus, Mellencamp gets more specific with his message. He says that one must survive to keep oneself alive, and age shouldn't matter. People are often caught between wanting to stay young forever but also wanting to grow up and be taken seriously. He suggests that people can survive this limbo by keeping their heads up and just doing their best to get by.
Mellencamp ends the song with an invitation for people to acknowledge each other's humanity. He asks that people don't walk by without saying hello and that they notice each other's fine qualities, even if it is just a white lie. He declares that "Survive" is a love song written for this very purpose, to keep himself and others alive.
Line by Line Meaning
Go on and admit it
Admit the truth to yourself
You can't take it anymore
You can't handle the pressure anymore
So why don't you quit it
Why don't you give up on it
Your scratching off again
You can't handle the situation and are nervous
Can't you see it
Can't you perceive the reality of the situation
Well the whole thing was such a surprise
The entire situation took you by surprise
I know you and your hear crazy notions
I know you have wild and unrealistic ideas
Your pretty girls and no devotions
You prioritize physical appearance over other values
Down by the ocean middle class
You come from a lower middle-class background
Down by the gulf side, you let it all slide
As you go to relaxing locations, you loosen up on your principles
But now your saying that you don't Wanna be a sixteen year old girl, aah
You don't want to be immature anymore
But you don't want to turn twenty-five
You don't want to grow old yet either
You never ever, you never ever lied, Where you been, aahh
You've never lied, but others question where you've been
You got to survive to keep yourself alive
You have to fight to survive in life
It ain't no big deal if your attitude is wrong
It's not a major issue if your outlook is negative
And you don't know how you feel
You are confused about your emotional state
You just cop someone else's ideas
You borrow other's thoughts and pass them as your own
And masturbate yourself, make them your own
You indulge in self-gratification by using other's thoughts
Well I, I don't mean to tell you what to do
I don't want to dictate your life
Cause I've scratched off myself a time or two
Because I've been uncertain myself in the past
Well it just leaves you blue, with nothing to do
It leaves you sad and unoccupied
And they think I'm crazy when I stay up all weekend
People judge me for my activities over the weekend
So if I'm walking down the street and you see me
If you see me walking on the street
Don't walk on by, say hey man
Don't just ignore me, greet me
You know your looking, your looking so fine
You tell me that I'm looking good
You don't have to mean it, no no
You don't have to be genuine
Its just one of the regular lies that we've lived with
It's just one of the common deceptions we deal with
And this is a love song and I'm writing it just to survive
This is a song about love, written just to keep going in life
Lyrics Β© O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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