The 1983 Elton John hit with the defiant chorus “Don't you know I'm still standing better than I ever did” is “I'm Still Standing.” The song was written by Elton John and Bernie Taupin and released from the album Too Low for Zero.
The track became one of John's signature anthems, although Taupin later explained that he originally had an old girlfriend in mind rather than a broad statement about John's entire life. Listeners embraced the more universal interpretation: a narrator who has survived a painful break-up or setback and refuses to be defeated.
“I'm Still Standing” was released as a lead single in North America and the second single in the United Kingdom. It reached No. 1 in Canada and Switzerland, No. 4 in the UK, and No. 12 on the US Billboard Hot 100. Its colourful music video, filmed in Cannes and Nice and directed by Russell Mulcahy, helped give the song a lasting visual identity through MTV.