Eye of the Tiger Lyrics

[Verse 1]
Risin' 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 trade your passion for glory
Don't lose your grip on the dreams of the past
You must fight just to keep them alive

[Chorus]
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 watching us all with the eye of the tiger

[Verse 2]
Face to face, out in the heat
Hangin' tough, stayin' hungry
They stack the odds 'til we take to the street
For the kill with the skill to survive


[Chorus]
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 watching us all with the eye of the tiger
[Verse 3]
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

[Chorus]
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 watching us all with the eye
Of the tiger


[Outro]
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger
The eye of the tiger

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About

Genius Annotation

“Eye of the Tiger”, the most well-known song by Survivor, held the #1 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six consecutive weeks in the summer of 1982 and topped charts in several other countries including Canada, Japan, Norway, Finland and the UK. It also won the band a Grammy for Best Rock Performance by a Duo Or Group with Vocal.

Written by guitarist Frankie Sullivan and keyboardist Jim Peterik, the lyrics describe someone training hard to overcome hardships – fitting well its original intention, over the training montage in the film Rocky III. It has since become an anthem of sports events, particularly fighting ones, and is tied with “Gonna Fly Now” for Rocky Balboa’s theme song.

According to The Billboard Book Of Number 1 Hits, within 90 minutes of seeing an early tape of the film, the band had the song written. They based the title and lyrics on a line repeated several times by a boxing trainer in the film – “eye of the tiger.”

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

Translations
Genius Answer
What did Survivor say about "Eye of the Tiger"?
Genius Answer

Jim Peterik told The Tennesseean about the song’s genesis,

I got home one day, and there’s my big old answering machine. I hit ‘Play’ and I hear, ‘Hey yo, Jim, that’s a nice answering machine you got there. Give me a call. It’s Sylvester Stallone.’ I go, ‘Yeah, right.’ I play it back again … ‘Karen, does this sound like Stallone, or is that just Sal, my roadie?’ ‘No, that’s him.’ So I call him up … He says, ‘I’ve got this new movie called Rocky III, and I don’t want to use that “Gonna Fly Now” song. It’s a good song, but I want something for the kids. Something with a pulse. Can you help me out?’ I go, ‘Uh, is the Pope Catholic?’

Peterik also shared:

Stallone has a good ear for a hook. Just listen to his dialogues – he wrote those scripts. He came up with ‘Eye Of The Tiger’ for that script and those hook phrases like ‘I’m going to knock you into tomorrow.’ All that stuff is Stallone, he’s a genius with dialogue. Songs are nothing more than dialogue set to music as far as I’m concerned.

What is the true meaning of this song?
Genius Answer

Credits
Rhythm Guitar
Lead guitar
Electric Guitar
Grand Piano
Lead Vocals By
Recorded At
Rumbo Recorders, Los Angeles
Release Date
May 29, 1982
Eye of the Tiger Live Performances
View Eye of the Tiger samples
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