Ab I remember my first love affair Ab Somehow or another the whole darn thing went wrong Ab My mamma had some great advice Ab So I thought I'd put it into words of this song Ab I can still hear her sayin' it Ab Boy, Oh, I see you're sittin' out there all alone Ab Cryin' your eyes out 'cos the woman that you love has gone Ab Oh, there's gonna be, there's gonna be a whole lot of trouble in your life Ab Oh, so listen to me get up off your knees 'cos only the strong survive Ab That's what she said, only the strong survive Ab Only the strong survive, Bb C Db Eb Oh you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on Ab Don't go all around with your head hung down Ab Well I wouldn't let that little girl Ab No, I wouldn't let her know that she made me feel like a clown Ab There's a whole lot a girls lookin' for a good man like you Ab Oh but you'll never meet 'em if you give up now and say that your life is through Ab Yes she said: Only the strong survive, only the strong survive, Bb C Db Eb You've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand Ab Only the strong survive, only the strong survive, Bb C Db Eb Oh, you've got to be strong, you'd better hold on Ab 'Cos only the strong survive Ab Only the strong survive, only the strong survive, Bb C Db Eb Well, you've got to be a man, you've got to take a stand Ab Only the strong survive, only the strong survive