There are several artists using this name:

1) Tony Clifton began his… Read Full Bio ↴There are several artists using this name:

1) Tony Clifton began his career as a singer and stand-up comedian in the late 1970s. Despite his obnoxious personality and inept singing, he has appeared on Late Night with David Letterman and continues to perform occasionally today.

2) Tony Clifton, a Swedish band, have been playing together since their high school days. Hailing from the east coast island of Gotland, they released a 5 track self titled EP in 2006 on indie label Bricktop Recordings; the label is run by American producer/drummer/songwriter Brady Blade.

2008 will see Tony Clifton release their debut album (label yet to be determined), which was recorded and produced by Tommy Andersson who has worked with Björn Yttling (Peter Bjorn and John), Sahara Hotnights, Shout Out Louds, Blindside and Monty's Loco among others.

The debut album will see Clifton reach a whole new audience and see them hit the international stages once again.

TC: David Löfqvist (guitar), Mattias Hallbom (guitar/keys/vocals), Emil Stenström (bass/vocals), Jakob Larsson (drums), Johannes Hallbom (vocals/keys/guitar).

Tony Clifton - Myspace

I Will Survive
Tony Clifton Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

First I was afraaaaid
I was pyoo-trified
Kept thinking I could never live
Ah, without you by my sy-eeed
But then I spent so many nights
Ah, thinking how you did me wrong
And I ... grew ... STRONG!
And I learned to get along

And now you're back
From outer space
I just walked in to find you here
With that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have asked you for the key
If I had known for just one second
You'd be back to bother me
Go on now, GO! Walk out the door!
Don't turn around now
You're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one that tried to hurt me with goodbye
Did you think I'd crum-bill
Did you think I'd lay down and die
Oh no, not I
I will sur-vee-heeeev
As long as i know how to love
I know I will stay a-leeeev
I've got all my life to live
I've got all my love to give
I will sur-vee-hee-heeeev!
I will sur-vee-hee-heeeev!
I will sur-veeeeeeeeeeeev!
I ... a-will ... sur-veeeeeeeeeeeeeeev!!!
Heeeey...Ah!!!
I will sur-veev!
I will sur-veev!
I will sur-veev!

I will sur-vee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-heev!
[Heavy applause...]

Overall Meaning

The song "I Will Survive" by Tony Clifton is a classic anthem of empowerment and strength. The lyrics tell the story of a person who was once afraid and dependent on someone else, but eventually learned to stand on their own two feet and became stronger as a result. The singer initially feels lost without their partner, but eventually realizes that they don't need that person to survive. The line "I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face" suggests that the partner has come back, likely hoping to reconcile, but the singer has moved on and is now stronger without them. This is echoed in the refrain "I will sur-vee-heeeev" which emphasizes the singer's determination to survive and thrive despite any obstacle in their path.

The song can be interpreted as a celebration of independence and personal growth. The singer has learned that they don't need someone else to define them or make them happy, and that they are capable of standing on their own. The reference to the "stupid lock" and the "key" suggests that the partner may have been controlling or manipulating, but the singer has taken back control of their life. The song is often interpreted as a feminist anthem, as the lyrics empower women to stand up for themselves and not rely on men for validation or security. However, the message is universal and can apply to anyone who has gone through a difficult breakup or faced adversity.

Line by Line Meaning

First I was afraaaaid
At first, I was filled with fear

I was pyoo-trified
I was petrified with terror

Kept thinking I could never live
I kept believing that I couldn't go on without you

Ah, without you by my sy-eeed
Yes, without you by my side

But then I spent so many nights
But then I spent countless nights

Ah, thinking how you did me wrong
Yes, thinking about how you wronged me

And I ... grew ... STRONG!
And from those thoughts, I became strong

And I learned to get along
And I learned to cope

And now you're back
But now you're back

From outer space
From some distant unknown place

I just walked in to find you here
I walked in and found you standing here

With that sad look upon your face
You wore a sad expression on your face

I should have changed that stupid lock
I realize now that I should have changed the lock

I should have asked you for the key
I should have asked you for the key

If I had known for just one second
If I had only known for a moment

You'd be back to bother me
That you'd come back to cause me more trouble

Go on now, GO! Walk out the door!
So go now, leave! Walk through that door!

Don't turn around now
Don't even look back

You're not welcome anymore
You're no longer needed or wanted here

Weren't you the one that tried to hurt me with goodbye
You were the one who tried to inflict pain with your farewell

Did you think I'd crum-bill
Did you expect me to crumble

Did you think I'd lay down and die
Did you think I'd give up and die

Oh no, not I
Oh no, not me

I will sur-vee-heeeev
I will survive, yes I will

As long as i know how to love
As long as I know how to love

I know I will stay a-leeeev
I know I'll remain alive

I've got all my life to live
I have all of my life ahead of me

I've got all my love to give
I have all of my love to give

I will sur-vee-hee-heeeev!
I will survive, yes I will

I will sur-veeeeeeeeeeeev!
I will survive, I will make it through

I ... a-will ... sur-veeeeeeeeeeeeeeev!!!
Yes, I will survive!

Heeeey...Ah!!!
Hey, ah!

I will sur-veev!
I will survive

I will sur-vee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-hee-heev!
I will survive, yes I will!

[Heavy applause...]
The audience gave a rousing round of applause

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CALVIN BROADUS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑4

At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinking I could never live without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And so you're back
From outer space
I just walked in to find you here with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock, I should have made you leave your key
If I'd known for just one second you'd be back to bother me
Go on now, go, walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye
Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive
I will survive, hey, hey
It took all the strength I had not to fall apart
Kept trying hard to mend the pieces of my broken heart
And I spent oh-so many nights just feeling sorry for myself
I used to cry
But now I hold my head up high and you see me
Somebody new
I'm not that chained-up little person and still in love with you
And so you felt like dropping in and just expect me to be free
Well, now I'm saving all my lovin' for someone who's loving me
Go on now, go, walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye
Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive
I will survive
Oh
Go on now, go, walk out the door
Just turn around now
'Cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to break me with goodbye
Do you think I'd crumble
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
Oh no, not I, I will survive
Oh, as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give and I'll survive
I will survive
I will survive

All comments from YouTube:

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑4

@E4RLIES

Putrified😂❤

@ered203

1y↑22

Andy died 40 years ago next May. I still cry when I watch this movie, every single time. I was a kid, but my uncle and I LOVED Andy Kaufman. I stayed up late and we called into the number for SNL to keep him. I never missed Taxi. We loved everything about Andy. I lived in Western Kentucky and we could get the Memphis wrestling shows with him and Larry Lawler. My uncle was at the show where he read Gatsby in its entirety. He never stooped talking about it. I tear up a little every time I hear the song. Andy and Uncle Pat ARE the memory of my childhood.
Andy is gone.
Uncle Pat is gone.
But I am still here singing their praises.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑4

Cheers bro... Good people never fade. Please subscribe & share

@casebarreoltt5990

1y↑1

Legends. They never die.

@sawyer351

15w↑1

Wow man, Amazing comment, just pointing out that you're not alone singing their praises, Andy and your uncle both still exist in people, and that's what really counts. Have an Amazing day

@lancevior3579

3y↑67

In my opinion. The best performance of Jim Carrey

@LiveMusicPlaylist

3y↑2

true

@tnt630126933

2y↑1

It is!

@seth5394

50w

How is it going to end?

@therabidscorpion

2y↑20

Bob trying to hold back tears in this scene always gets me.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑2

@redken5988

46w↑2

You what gets me? If bob was a fan, who was playing tony here?

@therabidscorpion

46w↑1

@@redken5988 I've heard Andy's brother occasionally played Tony when the need arose.

@blackbirdsvolume1366

26w↑4

@@redken5988 Its implying ANDY may have actually fake his own death and its him on stage playing Tony.

@horrorfan8504

14w↑1

It is honestly moments like this in a movie that captures my feelings.

1 More Replies...

@danbarrasso2253

4y↑112

Jim Carrey really should've won Best Lead Actor! He did an unbelievable job as Andy.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

4y↑8

word

@TheGodinme88

3y↑1

💯

@nuhuhjenehen1828

3y↑5

No he was to dramatic

@lancevior3579

3y↑1

Who wins that year. Was nominated?

@danbarrasso2253

3y↑3

@@lancevior3579 I don't know who it was. I think this was Carrey's best role. He couldn't just be his usual outrageous self, he had to do what somebody else did, and make it believable. He was fan-freakin-tastic at it too!

5 More Replies...

@BiscoChocLone

2y↑11

My favourite Jim Carrey film. Also my favourite ending to a film.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑1

cheers

@quarantinebored1427

1y↑10

Perfect ending that’s all I can say

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

thanks please subscribe & share

@casebarreoltt5990

An ode to the club

@tatyana6063

2y↑16

This is one of my fave Jim Carrey films. Even this part at the end, I really love this song, "I Will Survive". It was very different and perfect at more than what's needed how Jim sang it.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑1

cheers

@screenwriterabdullahh.erak2778

34w↑4

Jim Carrey should have won an Oscar for this...

@LiveMusicPlaylist

34w↑1

thanks please subscribe & share

@RoseHowat

1y↑10

the very last moments of this film always used to confuse me with the editing choices, showing up close shots of the great comedians that came before Andy. Considered legend in their field. But now I understand, showing all those people in close cuts and then showing that Andy has joined them as one of the greats.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@richieesquiche8234

1y↑5

Such a well done biopic! 👏

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@user-mr2yr9ch8p

3y↑71

Conspiracy Theory: What if this Tony Clifton is played by the REAL Andy Kaufman and he just wanted to have one final troll at the end of the movie?

@youri8008

2y↑4

That would have been awesome !

@mariesherran8701

2y↑1

It's clearly his brother in the real version, would be great though if he pulled off a fake death only comic close to him is norm macdonald and now he's gone

@joeyclemenza7339

I mean… he would’ve been like 50 during the making of this movie… so it’s possible. And knowing Andy? We’ll never know 🥲 maybe

@casebarreoltt5990

Always thought that and still do.

@casebarreoltt5990

FWIW, from Wikipedia:
"In 2014, Zmuda and Lynne Margulies, Kaufman's girlfriend at the time of his death, coauthored Andy Kaufman: The Truth, Finally, a book claiming that Kaufman's death was indeed a prank, and that he would soon be revealing himself, as his upper limit on the "prank" was 30 years. He did not reappear.[88]"

1 More Replies...

@danielwoodwardcomposer2040

4y↑12

Best film!!!

@LiveMusicPlaylist

4y↑4

classic

@sirpercy

3y↑17

this is hilaorius but very sad at the same time...as the film, is a rare comedy - drama so great

@LiveMusicPlaylist

3y↑3

cheers

@cole-trickle50

14w↑1

Love the ending to this movie . Classic Tony Clifton

@LiveMusicPlaylist

14w↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@dtg5909

2y↑3

I would love to own that neon of Jim/Andy at the end.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@joeclark1621

1y↑10

I love this film by Jim Carrey. It is quite distinguished from the rest. Many of the rest are good but this one is so genuinely sad and funny at the same time.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑2

agree cheers

@sheeti4467

2y↑5

absolute banger

@Thepomafame

4y↑9

R.E.M the best

@krisscanlon4051

2y↑2

U did Andy you survived

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑1

lol

@michaelrampersant5680

4y↑12

RIP ANDY KAUFMAN

@LiveMusicPlaylist

4y↑2

❄️

@mrbobsshow

Amen

@roxxedk9897

2y↑13

My theory is Any Kaufman dies and trolled his family and friends that he was Tony Clifton aka a 3rd level gag. This allowed him to create an ever lasting bond/legacy which they see Andy in the flesh. It also fools the viewers of the movie for entertainment although the real events may of been much different.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑1

lol

@christopherjohnson1803

47w↑1

1:53 the big finish...go Tony!!😂

@LiveMusicPlaylist

45w↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@E4RLIES

42w↑1

Woudve liked it to carry on and play the full outro Man on the Moon song too but yeah I loved Carey’s Clifton he made him real🎶🎶🎶❤

@LiveMusicPlaylist

42w↑2

cheers please subscribe & share

@PetrLilov-jr7vw

18w↑1

Patrně jedno z nejuchvatnejsich performance jaké jsme v kinematografii mohli kdy vidět...😅😅

@LiveMusicPlaylist

16w↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@hoedatzodan1432

4y↑3

Geniaal!!
Mis this..

@LiveMusicPlaylist

4y↑1

🔥

@julesnominal1804

3y↑4

i know i'll stay aleeve

@LiveMusicPlaylist

3y↑1

still here

@arrioti

genial

@iynof69

37w↑1

🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌❤❤

@LiveMusicPlaylist

37w↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@michelgaucher1876

17w↑1

Miloš Forman 👏💯👑 #czechmademan

@LiveMusicPlaylist

17w↑2

cheers please subscribe & share

@Lord_Thistlewick_Flanders

4y↑27

Is nobody going to point out the obvious? If Paul giamatti is standing off to the side applauding, then who is playing Tony Clifton?

@LiveMusicPlaylist

4y↑16

Jim Carrey

@BrokeNerfing

4y↑25

Literally everyone that saw this movie noticed that 😂

@jb2337

4y↑21

Fun Fact, in this Scene it's actually the REAL Bob Zmuda (Who Paul Giamatti Plays in the film) Playing Tony in this scene (Andy's Best Friend & Co-Writer/Prankster) He also would play Tony Clifton half of the time when Andy didn't feel like it or wanted to be standing next to Tony, He was an Executive Producer on the film and Still Dons the Clifton Persona to this day out of respect for Andy's Legacy

@travisgray7010

4y↑5

i thought it was Jim Carrey as Tony Clifton just we suppose to believe someone else is there since Andy died at this point n he was played by Jim Carrey.... it's Jim Carrey basically even though Andy's dead

@esais64

3y↑3

It's supposed to be Kaufman's brother , right? (I mean, inside the context of the film)

17 More Replies...

@waynecrawford9531

44w↑2

At first I was afraid I was petrified

@LiveMusicPlaylist

44w↑1

to think that I would never have you by my syeeeeeeeeede

@marstrux7201

Michael Kaufman is Tony!

@NathanArnoldCharging

2y↑2

... Mr. Fred Blassie and the Breakfast mess ... yeah yeah yeah yeah...

@Alex-bz9mq

1y↑1

0:35. Ήδη ξανακόβουμε κεφάλια... τι μανία...

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@SimplyLimbo

4y↑19

Zmuda watching makes you think... did he do it ?...

@jovohodzic508

Of course he did. He had plastic surgery - it's Jim Carrey.

@marstrux7201

I guess Michael Kaufman!

@ElliottNest39

1y↑1

No,it doesn’t.

@donkorleone5188

1y↑6

Call me weirdo, but i think Andy is still Alive, somewhere.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑2

true legends never die

@ElliottNest39

1y↑1

OK, you’re a dimwitted weirdo.

@thebigragu9952

45w

You’re looking at him, Jim Carey’s hands didn’t look like that in ‘99.

@nicifrey5989

26w↑1

Can someone tell me: who was this supposed to be innthe movie, playing clifton? And who is actually playing it?

@LiveMusicPlaylist

25w↑1

jim carrey, paul giamatti, andy kaufman... lol

@nicifrey5989

25w

Bob sits in the audience i meant

@kuallalumpur5417

50w↑1

00:56 01:05 01:21 01:46

@jamespayne3661

3y↑3

What would've happened if Andy Kaufman never got the cancer that ended his life?

@LiveMusicPlaylist

3y↑5

he would be jim carrey

@jamespayne3661

3y↑1

Or maybe he would be in a movie with Jim Carrey.

@jordil6152

2y↑2

He would have faked having cancer.

@caseyedward2890

Insane asylum

@casebarreoltt5990

1y↑1

Same thoughts on Bill Hicks

@angeloalbertoUrso2859

2y↑1

Ahahahahahahaha descomunal.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@LiveMusicPlaylist

cheers please subscribe & share

@MikeBannShow

1y↑1

Did this really happen in real life? Did Tony show up a year after Andy's passing?

@casebarreoltt5990

1y↑2

There's a Tony in every bowling alley bar in the USA and Canada.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

lol yep

@richieesquiche8234

He still did shows

@Mrbrbusby

1y↑2

Yet another man ripped off by the Academy. Let’s make sure Kevin Costner and Tom Cruise are always rewarded !

@LiveMusicPlaylist

1y↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@mygoogleemail2063

2y↑3

I never liked Jim Carrey. I didn't like him as Andy Kaufman. But I love love love Jim Carry playing Andy Kaufmann pretending to be Tony Clifton.

May God forgive me, I love it so.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

2y↑1

lol

@mb944

21w↑1

So he faked his own death?

@LiveMusicPlaylist

15w↑1

cheers please subscribe & share

@casebarreoltt5990

1y↑1

Survey: Andy faked his death? Yes or No answers.

@LiveMusicPlaylist

cheers please subscribe & share

@ElliottNest39

1y↑1

No. He developed large cell carcinoma of the lungs. He died about six months after diagnosis. It’s not complicated.

@dukemantee2978

3y↑2

Bob Carey... Bill Carey...whatever this actors name was...never seen such bad casting or acting since that Jerry Lee debacle with what'sisname...the brother of that other nut.