Still Alive (Portal End Theme)
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About
"Still Alive" is the award-winning end theme from Valve's wildly popular puzzle-platform video game Portal, sung by Ellen McLain and composed by Johnathon Colton. Due to the general popularity of the game (and particularly on the web), the song has been a popular subject of musical tributes on YouTube and other Portal-related fan sites.
(See also: The Cake is a Lie, Weighted Companion Cube, and Get The Cake)
Origin
Portal[1] is a single-player first-person action/puzzle video game developed by Valve Corporation and released on October the 9th, 2007 as part of a bundle package called "The Orange Box" for Windows and Xbox 360. Towards the end of the game, the player takes on a mission to destroy "GlaDOS", a homicidal Artificial Intelligence program, along with her 4 personality cores. After the detonation of facility and as the player is led into a warehouse, GlaDOS begins singing the song happily, suggesting that she is in fact "Still Alive."
| This was a triumph. I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS. It's hard to overstate my satisfaction. Aperture Science We do what we must because we can. For the good of all of us. Except the ones who are dead. But there's no sense crying over every mistake. You just keep on trying till you run out of cake. And the Science gets done. And you make a neat gun. For the people who are still alive. I'm not even angry. I'm being so sincere right now. Even though you broke my heart. And killed me. And tore me to pieces. And threw every piece into a fire. As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you! Now these points of data make a beautiful line. And we're out of beta. We're releasing on time. |
So I'm GLaD. I got burned. Think of all the things we learned for the people who are still alive. Go ahead and leave me. I think I prefer to stay inside. Maybe you'll find someone else to help you. Maybe Black Mesa THAT WAS A JOKE. HAHA. FAT CHANCE. Anyway, this cake is great. It's so delicious and moist. Look at me still talking when there's Science to do. When I look out there, it makes me GLaD I'm not you. I've experiments to run. There is research to be done. On the people who are still alive. And believe me I am still alive. I'm doing Science and I'm still alive. I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive. While you're dying I'll be still alive. And when you're dead I will be still alive. |
YouTube Tributes
The song was originally composed by Jonathan Coulton[2] and performed by Ellen McLain, the voice actress behind GlaDOS. One of the first tribute performances was uploaded by YouTuber "pudgenet" on October 20th, 2007:
Spread
Throughout October and November 2010, numerous "Still Alive" covers surfaced on YouTube, featuring a variety of musical instruments like, piano, strings, children's choir, ocarina and more. The song is also a downloadable for the Rock Band Series, but the song has also been played in it's competition, Guitar Hero.
YTMNDs
The song has also spawned some YTMNDs:
- Still Alive: GlaDOS
- NES: Still Alive (Portal): Portalnes
- Still Alive Rave Remix in GMod: Gmrwaspr
- Still Alive Duet (Featureing both versions): Stillaliveduet
- Another Unoriginal Portal Site: Portalstillalive
Covers
The composer Jonathan Colton himself also performed the song on November 16, 2007:
Piano Cover (October 22nd, 2007):
Piano – Still Alive 451,000+ views
Children's Choir:
Kids Sing Portal "Still Alive" 603,000+ views
Search Interest
Remixes
Apart from cover tributes and soundtrack adaptations, “Still Alive” has been also remixed into several forms. The song is also remixed with several internet memes, including 8-bit/Chiptune, Mario Paint Songs, Hatsune Miku, Bonk! and TF2 Sings… versions. There is also an 800% Slower Remix on Soundcloud.[3]
For more examples of remixes, check out the videos section.
Portal – Still Alive (GlaDOS Remix) 154,000+ views
Alternate Music Videos
Many people on YouTube decided to keep the audio the same, but changed the music video behind it, including typography version, cartoon version, Garry's Mod version, World of Warcraft version as well as Newgrounds version.[4]
Portal – Still Alive typography 509,000+ views
External References
[1] Portal – Official Website / Released on 10-9-2007
[2] Jonathan Coulton – Official Website / Posted on 10-9-2007
[3] SoundCloud – Still Alive from Portal / Posted on 8-18-2010
[4] Newgrounds – Still Alive – Portal / Posted on 12-7-2007
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