It gained tremendous MTV and radio airplay and topped charts worldwide during 1982. In the United States, it held No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks (the band's only song to top the chart) and was the No. 2 single of 1982, behind Olivia Newton-John's "Physical". It spent fifteen consecutive weeks in the top ten, the second-longest run of 1982, behind "Hurts So Good" by John Mellencamp (which was prevented from reaching the top of the Hot 100 by "Eye of the Tiger"). This top ten run is tied with the aforementioned "Another One Bites the Dust" as well as "Physical" as the longest run in the top ten for a number one song during the entire 1980s decade. The band won an award for "Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal" at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards. In September 1982, it also peaked at No. 1 in the United Kingdom, remaining at the top of the UK Singles Chart for four consecutive weeks. The single sold 956,000 copies in United Kingdom in 1982.
It was certified platinum in August 1982 by the RIAA, signifying sales of 2 million vinyl copies. The song had sold over 4.1 million in digital downloads in the United States alone by February 2015. It was voted VH1's 63rd-greatest hard rock song.
In an interview with Songfacts, co-writer Jim Peterik, who shared writing credit with Frankie Sullivan, explained the song's title.
At first, we wondered if calling it "Eye of the Tiger" was too obvious. The initial draft of the song, we started with "It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight, rising up to the spirit of our rival, and the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night, and it all comes down to survival." We were going to call the song "Survival". In the rhyme scheme, you can tell we had set up "rival" to rhyme with "survival". At the end of the day, we said, "Are we nuts?" That hook is so strong, and "rival" doesn't have to be a perfect rhyme with the word "tiger". We made the right choice and went with "Eye of the Tiger".
The song was nominated for the 1982 Academy Award for Best Original Song (the only Oscar nomination for Rocky III), but it lost to "Up Where We Belong" from An Officer and a Gentleman.
The band won an award for "Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group with Vocal" at the 25th Annual Grammy Awards. The song was also nominated for the 1983 Grammy Award for Song of the Year, but lost to the Willie Nelson hit "Always on My Mind".
Eye of the Tiger
Survivor Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times, it happens too fast
You trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger
Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds still we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger
Risin' up, straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
Just a man and his will to survive
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
"Eye of the Tiger" is a song by American rock band Survivor, released in 1982. The opening lines of the song, "Risin' up, back on the street/Did my time, took my chances," suggest a sense of resilience and determination. The singer in the song has faced obstacles but is ready to fight back and succeed. He urges listeners to not give up on their dreams, reminding them that they have the strength to keep going, even when things get tough.
The "eye of the tiger" is used as a metaphor for a fierce and unyielding mentality, especially in the face of adversity. The song's theme was inspired by the Rocky movies, which were immensely popular at the time. The line "the last known survivor" also references the character of Rocky Balboa, who never gave up and always kept fighting, no matter what the odds were.
Overall, "Eye of the Tiger" is an uplifting, motivational song about persevering through challenges and coming out on top.
Line by Line Meaning
Risin' up, back on the street
After a setback, the singer has re-emerged and is navigating life's challenges once again.
Did my time, took my chances
The singer has endured difficult times and made tough decisions.
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Despite the odds, the singer has overcome hardships and is standing tall again.
Just a man and his will to survive
The artist relies solely on his own determination to persevere.
So many times, it happens too fast
Life's challenges can sometimes come unexpectedly and quickly.
You trade your passion for glory
At times, people give up what they truly love in exchange for fame or recognition.
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
It's important not to forget or give up on the aspirations of the past.
You must fight just to keep them alive
It takes effort and determination to preserve what one truly wants in life.
It's the eye of the tiger, it's the thrill of the fight
The spirit of competition and the adrenaline of the challenge drives the artist forward.
Risin' up to the challenge of our rival
The artist is motivated to beat their opponent and emerge victorious.
And the last known survivor stalks his prey in the night
The final victor has outlasted all others and seeks to defeat their opponent under the cover of darkness.
And he's watchin' us all with the eye of the tiger
The artist is always alert and focused on the goal of winning.
Face to face, out in the heat
The singer confronts their opponent directly, under tough conditions.
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
The singer remains strong and vigilant, keeping their competitive spirit alive.
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
The opponent has the upper hand, but the singer will fight regardless of the odds.
For the kill with the skill to survive
The artist is prepared to use all the abilities at their disposal to emerge victorious.
Risin' up, straight to the top
Despite starting at the bottom, the artist is working their way up to the pinnacle of success.
Had the guts, got the glory
Through bravery and determination, the singer has earned the recognition and renown they deserve.
Went the distance, now I'm not gonna stop
The singer has come a long way and will continue their journey with renewed vigor.
The eye of the tiger
The artist's gaze is focused, their mind is sharp and determined, and they are ready for the challenge ahead.
The eye of the tiger
The artist is mentally and physically prepared to tackle whatever comes their way.
The eye of the tiger
The artist is capable of seizing opportunities, adapting to situations, and dealing with challenges.
The eye of the tiger
The singer has their eyes on the prize of success and will do whatever it takes to get there.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Frank Sullivan, Jim Peterik
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Philip Kassabian
What an excellent song.
@kevinf2008
Rising up, back on the street
Did my time, took my chances
Went the distance, now I'm back on my feet
Just a man and his will to survive
So many times it happens too fast
You change your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Face to face, out in the heat
Hanging tough, staying hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger
Rising up straight to the top
Had the guts, got the glory
Went the distance, now I'm not going to stop
Just a man and his will to survive
It's the eye of the tiger
It's the thrill of the fight
Rising up to the challenge of our rival
And the last known survivor
Stalks his prey in the night
And he's watching us all with the eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
@123bassel1
I'm only 18 and I like this music.
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I'm a Carbon atom (not yet part of a DNA strand) and I like this music.
I'm a Neutron (soon to be part of a Carbon atom) and I like this music.
I'm still a Quark and I like this music.
@Guest-hh3vj
Congratulations on 1 Billion views 👏
@DaVaK1234
40+years and it still gives me goosebumbs!
@martinicocarrillo7999
La música que le ganó al tiempo.!
@nedson6503
It's older than i am.
@randolfozapata1585
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂GOOSEBUMPS
@Sergey-yn7fk
У меня тоже !
@thegreatasparagus
1982 farrrrr
@renemartinez_
Rest in power, Carl Weathers! 💪🏽
Everybody needs an Apollo Creed in their life
@marielajuan549
?