“I’m still alive” isn’t a reference to my recent absence from blogging (although it does bizarrely fit), it’s a lyric from the song 11.59 (written by Blondie’s keyboardist Jimmy Destri).

It’s a lesser known track on the 1978 album Parallel Lines. The album that arguably catapulted the band into superstardom, with more well-known tracks like Heart of Glass, Sunday Girl and One Way or Another, you’d be forgiven for not knowing it.

This is a very underrated song.

There’s often a striking difference between studio recordings of songs and live performances. This is no more evident than in this 1979 performance at Asbury Park, NJ, on YouTube – give it a watch.

The studio recording closes with the lyrics:

“Don’t leave me here, time is running out
Take me down the highway like a rocket to the ocean, we can run

Today can last another million years
Today could be the end of me
It’s 11:59, and I want to stay alive.”

But the live version is extended.

In the live version Debbie’s dancing gets manic, Bacchic and wild. It’s a joy to watch someone feel and express that joy of being alive.

Then the dancing is accompanied with chants of “I’m still alive” that is spellbinding – there’s something haunting about it. Without wanting to sound too pretentious, it’s as if Debbie’s crying out defiantly against the human condition. Despite all the shit, she’s still alive. It’s both chilling and celebratory.

Interestingly, the cries of “I’m still alive!” are only on the live version.