{{Article|rw|p1|good}}
{{Portal}}
{{Youmayd|the song|the game|Portal Still Alive}}
{{Song Infobox
| image=FileThe Orange Box soundtrack.jpg|250px
| title=Still Alive
| release=October 10, 2007
| genre=WikipediaIndie rock|Indie rock
| length=256
| performer=
| singer=Ellen McLain
| writer=Jonathan Coulton
| producer=
| label=
| featured=*''The Orange Box soundtrack|The Orange Box Original Soundtrack''
*''http//www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/Artificial_Heart Artificial Heart''
}}
"'''Still Alive'''"''Portal '' credits is a song featured in ''Portal''. It is sung from the perspective of GLaDOS and used as the song that runs over the game's end credits. It was written by Jonathan Coulton and performed by Ellen McLain, the voice of GLaDOS.{{cite web |title=Game Music Showdown Mirror's Edge Vs. Portal |url=http//music.ign.com/articles/922/922638p2.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2008-10-22}}
==Overview==
FileStill Alive science.png|thumb|250px|Screenshot of the ''Portal'' end credits, featuring the credits, the "Still Alive" lyrics and a related image, here the science symbol.
While the song is played, the lyrics are displayed on the left of the screen as a letter written by GLaDOS to Chell, with other words not featured in the song, the words being written at the same time they are sung. On the right of the screen, the game credits roll, and under it logos of words related to the song lyrics displayed in WikipediaASCII art|ASCII art follow each other, such as the Aperture Science logo, the Black Mesa logo, a fire or a piece of cake. The lyrics consists of "Forms" similar to the ones used for the Enrichment Center Test Subject Application Process on ApertureScience.com the first verse is titled "FORM-29827281-12 Test Assessment Report" ("Want You Gone" from ''Portal 2'' is "FORM-29827281-12-2"), the second verse is titled "FORM-55551-5 Personnel File Addendum", and the bridge / third verse is titled "FORM-55551-6 Personnel File Addendum Addendum". The postscripts do not belong to a form.
Although her physical form was comprehensively destroyed by Chell at the end of ''Portal'', "Still Alive" suggests that GLaDOS is still functional, is "not even angry" at Chell for what she has done, and considers the monitoring of her performance through the Test Chambers a "huge success" for those who are "still alive". This is confirmed in ''Portal 2'', where GLaDOS is indeed still "alive" and forces Chell to resume her tests.
==History and recording==
FileJonathan Coulton.jpg|thumb|left|200px|Jonathan Coulton.
The idea of having a song in ''Portal'' during the credits was inspired by ''WikipediaGod Hand|God Hand'', one of Erik Wolpaw's all time favorite games.http//www.gameinformer.com/b/news/archive/2012/09/01/chell-almost-married-a-turret-in-portal-2.aspx Chell Almost Married A Turret In ''Portal 2'' on Game Informer
Jonathan Coulton got involved with Valve after two developers approached him following a concert in Seattle. They asked him if he would like to write music for the company, and due to his fandom for the Half-Life and Portal universe|''Half-Life'' series, he immediately accepted. After discussing what they should do, he and the developers settled on working on ''Portal''. He stated that GLaDOS' passive-aggressive nature, which he shared, made it difficult to get her voice out of his head. When asked why more video games do not end in song, he stated that while movies are easier to convey with a story, it is more difficult to do in video games. As a result, GLaDOS singing after the player has grown accustomed to her, and appears very natural.{{cite web |title=Portal Thank you for the Music |url=http//www.computerandvideogames.com/article.php?id=177712&site=pcz |publisher=Computer and Video Games|accessdate=2009-08-24 |date=2007-12-28}} Kim Swift explained that they chose to play "Still Alive" during the ending so that players would leave the game happy.{{cite web |title=Best Of GDC The Secrets Of Portal's Huge Success |url=http//www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=17625 |publisher=Gamasutra |accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2008-02-27}}
==Reception==
The song received significant praise for its humor and the quality of its performance. ''The Rice Thresher'' editor Joe Dwyer called the song "hilarious".{{cite web |title=Mirror's Edge remix a good listen |url=http//media.www.ricethresher.org/media/storage/paper1290/news/2008/11/14/Entertainment/Mirrors.Edge.Remix.Album.A.Good.Listen-3543126.shtml |publisher=The Rice Thresher |accessdate=2009-08-24 |date=2008-11-14}} IGN editor Ryan Geddes called it the best game-ending song of all time.{{cite web |title=On the DLC A Man Named Angus |url=http//xboxlive.ign.com/articles/864/864683p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2008-04-04}} Ellen McLain felt that Jonathan Coulton did a good job capturing GLaDOS with the song.{{cite web |title=GLaDOS Speaks |url=http//xbox360.ign.com/articles/831/831900p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2007-10-31}}
In 2008, Coulton performed the song alongside WikipediaFelicia Day|Felicia Day at the WikipediaPenny Arcade Expo|Penny Arcade Expo, because he "knew it was one of those things that would just make people's heads explode". The song was also performed at the 2009 WikipediaPress Start -Symphony of Games-|Press Start -Symphony of Games-, a yearly Japanese concert event to showcase the musical works of video games. "Still Alive" is the first Western song to be performed at the show, which included a Japanese translation by WikipediaKazushige Nojima|Kazushige Nojima, writer for several ''wcfinalfantasy|Final Fantasy'' games, and arrangement for the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra. Given the minimal exposure of ''Portal'' in Japan, WikipediaMasahiro Sakurai|Masahiro Sakurai, creator of Nintendo's ''wikipediaKirby (series)|Kirby'' and ''wcsuper-smash-brosSuper Smash Bros. (series)|Super Smash Bros.'' series, demonstrated the game to the audience prior to the performance.{{cite web | url = http//www.gamasutra.com/php-bin/news_index.php?story=25075 | title = Interview Jonathan Coulton On 'Still Alive', PAX Style | author = Jeriaska | date = 2009-09-02 | accessdate = 2009-09-02 | publisher = Gamasutra}}{{cite web | url= http//www.gamesetwatch.com/2009/08/sound_current_2009_press_start_symphony_of_g.php | title = Sound Current 2009 Press Start Symphony of Games Concert Report | date = 2009-08-10 | accessdate = 2009-08-10 | author = Jeriaska | publisher = Game Set Watch}}
==Versions==
FileStill alive rock band.jpg|thumb|200px|"Still Alive" score after being played in ''Rock Band''.
"Still Alive" is featured on ''The Orange Box Original Soundtrack'', containing both the original version and remix sung by Coulton himself.{{cite web |title= The Orange Box Original Soundtrack released on Steam|url=http//www.music4games.net/News_Display.aspx?id=799|publisher=Music 4 Games|accessdate=2009-08-25|date=2007-12-24}} The latter version is included on Coulton's 2011 album ''http//www.jonathancoulton.com/wiki/Artificial_Heart Artificial Heart'', along with his rendition of "Want You Gone". An upbeat, instrumental version of "Still Alive" can be heard on 85.2 FM on the Aperture Science Radio|radios dotting the Aperture Science Enrichment Center|Enrichment Center.
===In ''Rock Band''===
In 2008, "Still Alive" was featured as a free downloadable song in multiple games in the ''WikipediaRock Band|Rock Band'' series for Xbox 360 and PlayStation 3, including ''Rock Band'', ''Rock Band 2'', and ''Rock Band Unplugged''{{cite web |title=PSN Update (04.17.08) |url=http//ps3.ign.com/articles/867/867345p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2008-04-17}}{{cite web |title=Classics from Bowie, The Police, and Others Launch in Wii Rock Band Music Store |url=http//wii.ign.com/articles/986/986312p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2009-05-26}}{{cite web |title=Rock Band Unplugged DLC Showdown (07.02.09) |url=http//psp.ign.com/articles/100/1001003p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2009-07-02}} to thank players for supporting the series.{{cite web |title=Portal Song 'Still Alive' Coming to Rock Band |url=http//ps3.ign.com/articles/863/863237p1.html |publisher=IGN|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=20098-03-31}} After complaints about ''Rock Band Unplugged'''s version not being free, this was rectified and anyone who paid for it had their money refunded.{{cite web |title=Rock Band Unplugged Refund |url=http//psp.ign.com/articles/100/1004684p1.html |publisher=IGN |accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2009-07-16}} The ''Rock Band'' version is performed by Jonathan Coulton and three others.{{cite web |title=Jonathan Coulton performs "Still Alive" in Rock Band |url=http//arstechnica.com/gaming/news/2008/02/jonathan-coulton-performs-still-alive-in-rock-band.ars |publisher=Ars Technica|accessdate=2009-08-25 |date=2008-02-25}}
==Trivia==
*During the song, GLaDOS' voice is higher-pitched than it usually is, sounding at around the same pitch as a Aperture Science Sentry Turret|Sentry Turret.
*In ''Team Fortress 2'', "Still Alive" is one of the names of the bots.
==Lyrics==
The following lyrics are displayed as in the ''Portal'' credits, with the same text and background colors, and a similar font. The additional, unsung quotes are brighter; the lyrics not appearing on screen are darker.
|
Forms FORM-29827281-12 Test Assessment Report 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. Forms FORM-55551-5 Personnel File Addendum Dear < 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. Forms FORM-55551-6 Personnel File Addendum Addendum One last thing 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. HA HA. 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. PS And believe me I am still alive. PPS I'm doing Science and I'm still alive. PPPS I feel FANTASTIC and I'm still alive. FINAL THOUGHT While you're dying I'll be still alive. FINAL THOUGHT PS And when you're dead I will be still alive. STILL ALIVE Still alive. |