Lyrics: Jerry Butler. The Very Best of Jerry Butler. Only the Strong Survive.

I remember my first love affair
Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong
My mama had some great advice
So I thought I'd put it into words of this song
I can still hear her sayin'

Boy, oh, I see you're sittin' out there all alone
Cryin' your eyes out 'cause the woman that you love is gone
Oh, there's gonna be, there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life
Oh, so listen to me get up off your knees 'cause only the strong survive

That's what she said, "Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive"
Oh you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
Don't go all around with your head hung down

Well I wouldn't let that little girl
No, I wouldn't let her know that she made me feel like a clown
There's a whole lot a girls lookin' for a good man like you
Oh but you'll never meet 'em if you give up now
And say that your life is through

Then she said, "Only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
You've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand"

So I'm telling you right now only the strong survive
Only the strong survive
Hey, you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on
Don't worry about it, don't you know that things are gonna change
Oh, but you've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand
Don't ever feel that, you can make it baby