| "Still Alive" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Ellen McLain | |
| from the album The Orange Box Soundtrack | |
| Released | December 21, 2007 |
| Recorded | 2007 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 2:56 |
| Label | Valve |
| Songwriter(s) | Jonathan Coulton |
"Still Alive" is the song featured in the closing credits of the 2007 video game Portal. It was composed and arranged by Jonathan Coulton and was performed by Ellen McLain, who voiced the Portal antagonist and in-game singer of the song, GLaDOS. The song originated in a meeting between two Valve developers and Coulton about him writing a song for the company, which Coulton accepted as he was a fan of Valve's Half-Life series, which is set in the same universe as Portal. The song was released on The Orange Box Soundtrack on December 21, 2007, along with an exclusive vocal mix not heard in the game.[1]
The song is displayed on what appears to be a computer console, playing after GLaDOS is defeated by protagonist Chell, with lyrics revealing that GLaDOS is, in fact, "still alive." The song received praise for its humor and the quality of its performance. It has been featured in multiple venues, including at the 2009 Press Start -Symphony of Games-, a yearly Japanese concert event to showcase the musical works of video games. It was also featured as a free downloadable song for the Rock Band series, originally released on April 1, 2008. A rerecorded version, with Sara Quin on lead vocals, appears on Coulton's 2011 album Artificial Heart.