Survivors' Anthem Series #4: “I’m Still Standing” — Elton John
- Shannon Brown
- Jan 30
- 4 min read
The Ultimate Anthem for Survivors (And a Love Letter to My Mom)
There are songs that make you feel.
Songs that make you remember.
Songs that help you release what you’ve been carrying.
And then there are songs that do something else entirely.
They make you stand up.
They make you breathe deeper.
They make you lift your chin.
They make you dance like your body is finally remembering it deserves joy.
This is Survivors' Anthem #4, and it is one of the strongest, boldest, most unstoppable survival songs ever written:
“I’m Still Standing” — Elton John
This song is not quiet.
It’s not gentle.
It doesn’t whisper hope.
It declares it.
And as a survivor, sometimes that’s exactly what you need.
The Song That Turns Survival Into Power
When you’ve lived through hard things, the kind of hard that changes you, it can be easy to forget that survival is an accomplishment.
Not everyone sees what it costs to keep going.
How many invisible battles are fought behind closed doors.
How many nights are endured.
How many times survivors have to rebuild themselves quietly, piece by piece.
“I’m Still Standing” takes all of that and turns it into something electric:
not just survival… but victory.
It’s the kind of song that doesn’t ask permission.
It says:
I’m still here.
I’m still breathing.
I’m still fighting.
I’m still dancing.
I’m still standing.
And for survivors, that message is EVERYTHING.
Why This Song Is Personal to Me
My mom has always been a huge Elton John fan, and because of her, I grew up hearing his music as more than background sound.
It was part of our world.
And now I’m a huge fan too.
Because when I listen to Elton John, I don’t just hear legendary music…
I hear strength.
I hear life.
I hear fire.
And “I’m Still Standing” especially feels like it was written for anyone who has ever been knocked down by life, and refused to stay there.
It Makes Me Dance Every Single Time
There are survivor songs that help you cry.
This one helps you rise.
No matter where I am, no matter what kind of day I’ve had, when this song comes on, it’s impossible not to feel something shift inside me.
I’m dancing.
I’m singing at the top of my lungs.
I’m smiling even through the weight of everything I’ve survived.
It’s one of those rare songs that reminds me that joy isn’t something I have to earn.
Joy is something I still deserve.
A Full-Circle Moment: The Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour
One of the most meaningful moments tied to this song, and to Elton John in my life, was attending the Farewell Yellow Brick Road Tour concert with my mom.
I’ll never forget it.
It wasn’t “just a concert.”
It was a full-circle moment.
Because standing there beside her, watching Elton John perform, feeling that music in my bones… I realized something so powerful:
My mom is a survivor.
And so am I.
And there we were… together… in a stadium full of sound and light and history…
Dancing....
Singing....
still standing.
That moment felt like proof.
Proof that we made it through what tried to break us.
Proof that there is life after darkness.
Proof that survival can transform into connection, into healing, into pride.
My Mom Is My Hero
I want to say something clearly here, because it matters.
My mom is my hero.
She is one of the strongest people I have ever known.
She has survived things that could have destroyed her.
And instead, she became a source of love, resilience, and protection.
Like me, she carries a survivor’s story.
And like me… she is still standing.
That’s one of the reasons this song hits me so deeply.
It isn’t just my anthem.
It’s ours.
And I am proud beyond words to be her daughter.
Why This Song Belongs in the Survivor’s Anthem Series
Survivors deserve songs that don’t only reflect pain, but reflect power.
“I’m Still Standing” is a reminder that:
survival is strength
healing is rebellion
joy is allowed
and your life is not defined by what hurt you
This song takes survival and turns it into something bold and beautiful:
a celebration.
And maybe that’s what survivors need to hear more often.
Not only “I’m sorry that happened.”
Not only “that must have been hard.”
But also:
Look at you. You’re still standing.
A Note About My Book (And Who It’s Dedicated To)
If you’ve been following this series, you know this journey of healing and storytelling connects deeply to my memoir:
Because of Jane (available on Amazon).
This book is part of my survival story, and it is part of why I believe in speaking truth, breaking silence, and turning pain into something meaningful.
And there’s something else that matters here too:
I dedicated my book to my mom.
Because she is my hero.
Because she helped shape the survivor I became.
Because her love mattered.
Because she is proof that strength can be passed down, and so can healing.
A Thank You to Elton John
Elton John - thank you.
Thank you for creating music that has carried survivors across decades. Thank you for writing an anthem that doesn’t just comfort… but empowers.
“I’m Still Standing” is more than a song.
It’s a statement survivors can scream with their whole chest.
It’s proof we are not what happened to us.
We are what we overcame.
What’s Next in the Survivors' Anthem Series
Each Survivor’s Anthem post will include:
a featured song
why it mattered to me
what it helped me survive or process
and a reel where I sing a short part of it while honoring the artist behind it on my authors social media pages
If you’re reading this and you feel like life has tried to take too much from you…
I hope you hear this anthem the way I do:
You are still here.
You are still fighting.
You are still standing.
Listen to the music in the Survivors' Anthem Series on Spotify:
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