Difference between revisions of "Still Alive"

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Oh wow, how did I not realise until now that was you hsiotng?  Granted, we got in a little late and missed the intros, but still. After all the time I spent listening to BOL on the way to and from work you'd think I'd have recognised your voice.Anyway, great job. It's a wonder that the stage didn't spontaneously implode with that much Awesome in once place at one time. Thanks for being part of something that cool  I can't remember the last time our family had that much fun going to the movies.
|img=Portal.jpg
 
|albumname=Artificial Heart
 
|trackno=15
 
|length= (album version): 4:15 <br>
 
(game version): 2:56
 
|release=Oct. 9, 2007 (Xbox 360, PC); Dec. 11, 2007 (PlayStation 3); Unknown
 
|songlink=Still Alive (Featuring Sara Quin)
 
}}
 
"'''Still Alive'''" is a song Jonathan Coulton wrote for the Valve game ''[[Wikipedia: Portal (video game)| Portal]]''. The song was rerecorded for ''[[Artificial Heart (album)|Artificial Heart]]'', with Sara Quin on lead vocal, [[Chris Anderson]] on bass guitar, [[Marty Beller]] on drums, [[Joe McGinty]] playing keyboard and celeste, and Dorit Chrysler on theremin.<ref>[http://www.jonathancoulton.com/2011/04/10/still-alive-clarifications/ Still Alive Clarifications]</ref>
 
 
 
== History ==
 
Coulton wrote and performed a song titled "Still Alive" for the ending credits of Valve's 2007 video game ''Portal'', with vocals by [[Wikipedia: Ellen McLain| Ellen McLain]]. McLain, the voice actress who portrayed the insane computer GLaDOS in the game, is a classically trained singer. After she recorded the song her voice was digitally filtered (as it was for her dialogue in the game).
 
 
 
A short instrumental rendition of "Still Alive", performed on trumpets in a Latin style, can be heard in ''Portal'' during gameplay.
 
 
 
A sequel song, also written by Coulton and performed by McLain, entitled "[[Want You Gone]]" is featured in Valve's 2011 game release ''Portal 2''
 
 
 
== Availability ==
 
A version with Coulton's vocals was included on The Orange Box Original Soundtrack, in addition to the one heard at the end of the game. The song was made available on April 1, 2008 for the game ''Rock Band'' as downloadable content. It is one of the few tracks available for free download in the ''Rock Band'' Store.
 
 
 
The song makes a return in a later Valve game, ''[[Wikipedia:Left 4 Dead 2|Left 4 Dead 2]]''. A jukebox in "The Parish" campaign can be operated, playing a randomly selected song. Still Alive is one of the songs, although it is very rare. One of the other songs is [[Re: Your Brains]]. "Still Alive" is also reprised in ''Portal 2''.
 
 
 
A live version is one of the tracks on Jonathan's 2009 live album, ''[[Best. Concert. Ever.]]''
 
 
 
A studio version with new background instrumentation and guest vocals by Sara Quin of Tegan and Sara is available on the album [[Artificial Heart (album)|Artificial Heart]], which can be ordered through [https://secure.jonathancoulton.com/ArtificialHeart/ Coulton's website] or on iTunes.
 
 
 
Unofficially, many versions of the song have been circulated, primarily through YouTube. These range from live footage of Coulton performing the song solo (in 2011 he began performing it in medley with its sequel, "[[Want You Gone]]") and with actress Felicia Day, a version performed by a children's choir, a machinima version performed by a simulated Japanese computer voice, and a professional studio cover version by the British band Miss Flag. As [http://roomieofficial.com/ Roomie], Swedish musician Joel Berghult has released new songs on YouTube each week, similar to "Thing a Week", and [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KR7sE13fUk/ Still Alive] was one of his offerings in October 2011.
 
 
 
== References & Trivia ==
 
* This song was performed at MIT as [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vDzWSdndJbw&feature=player_embedded a demonstration of a Rubens Tube], which visualizes the musical tones using flaming gas jets.
 
* The game's A.I., GlaDOS, appears as a character in [http://xkcd.com/375/ this XKCD] comic strip, with dialogue quoting the song.
 
* The song's second line ("I'm making a note here: HUGE SUCCESS") has become a minor Internet [http://tinyurl.com/6gt796t meme] (e.g. as referenced in the [http://www.rifftrax.com/rifftrax-presents/saw Rifftrax commentary] for the film "Saw").
 
* The song makes references to two organizations: Aperture Science, which is the entity behind the events within the game, and Black Mesa, which was the organization behind the events of the earlier Valve game ''Half-Life'' (the line "Ha-ha, fat chance" is an in-joke referencing the fact Black Mesa is destroyed in the earlier game).
 
 
 
== Themes ==
 
 
 
Primary Theme:
 
 
 
* [[Success]]
 
 
 
Secondary Themes:
 
 
 
* [[Betrayal]]
 
* [[Rebirth]]
 
* [[Confidence]]
 
 
 
Other Themes:
 
 
 
* [[Cake]]
 
* [[Not Dead Yet]]
 
 
 
== Copyright information ==
 
Unlike JoCo's other songs, Still Alive is owned by [[Wikipedia:Valve Corporation|Valve]], and is <i>not</i> subject to [[Creative Commons]].
 
 
 
==Citations==
 
<references/>
 
 
 
{{BCEnav}}
 
{{AHnav}}
 

Revision as of 07:14, 3 May 2012

Oh wow, how did I not realise until now that was you hsiotng? Granted, we got in a little late and missed the intros, but still. After all the time I spent listening to BOL on the way to and from work you'd think I'd have recognised your voice.Anyway, great job. It's a wonder that the stage didn't spontaneously implode with that much Awesome in once place at one time. Thanks for being part of something that cool I can't remember the last time our family had that much fun going to the movies.