Christina Aguilera - Fighter
"Fighter" is a rock-infused empowerment anthem by Christina Aguilera, released as the third single from her fourth studio album Stripped on March 10, 2003. The song was written by Aguilera and Scott Storch, and produced by the latter. Inspired by Guns N' Roses' song "November Rain," "Fighter" was characterized as a hybrid of rock, pop and R&B that incorporates elements of arena rock and rock and roll. Aguilera revealed the song stemmed from her "very chaotic and abusive" home where she didn't feel "safe," and from being picked on and alienated in school because of her musical passion, which made her become "smarter and stronger." Aguilera wrote the song about her father, who abandoned her family. In a 2018 appearance on RuPaul's Drag Race Untucked, she revealed her 2002 song "Fighter" was about finding out her ex-boyfriend was gay. The track sees Aguilera thanking a man who had done her wrong for making her a "fighter." The writing process began during her promotion for her debut album in 1999, and she wanted to make an "emotionally rich and positive empowering" song, especially for women. The song received mostly positive reviews for its empowering message and Aguilera's powerful vocals, peaked at number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100, and achieved double platinum certification in the United States. The music video, directed by Floria Sigismondi, used the metaphor of a moth's metamorphosis to symbolize transformation from vulnerability to strength, earning multiple awards including a Juno Award for Video of the Year.
Christina Aguilera Fighter Lyrics
After all you put me through
You'd think I'd despise you
But in the end, I wanna thank you
'Cause you made me that much stronger
Well, I thought I knew you
Thinkin' that you were true
Guess I, I couldn't trust, called your bluff
Time is up 'cause I've had enough
You were there by my side
Always down for the ride
But your joyride just came down in flames
'Cause your greed sold me out in shame, mhm
After all of the stealing and cheating
You probably think that I hold resentment for you
But uh-uh, oh no, you're wrong
'Cause if it wasn't for all that you tried to do
I wouldn't know just how capable
I am to pull through
So I wanna say thank you, 'cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
Makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
Oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh, oh-oh
Oh, yeah, yeah, ohh
Never saw it coming
All of your backstabbing
And just so you could cash in on a good thing
Before I realized your game
I heard you're goin' 'round
Playin' the victim now
But don't even begin feeling I'm the one to blame
'Cause you dug your own grave
After all of the fights and the lies
Guess you're wanting to hold me
But that won't work anymore (no more, a-ha, it's over)
'Cause if it wasn't for all of your torture
I wouldn't know how to be this way now and never back down
So I wanna say thank you, 'cause it
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter
How could this man I thought I knew
Turn out to be unjust, so cruel?
Could only see the good in you
Pretended not to see the truth
You tried to hide your lies, disguise yourself
Through living in denial
But in the end you'll see, you won't stop me
I am a fighter and I (I'm a fighter)
I ain't gon' stop (I ain't gonna stop)
There is no turning back
I've had enough
Makes me that much stronger
Makes me work a little bit harder (ooh, yeah)
It makes me that much wiser (ooh, yeah)
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster (yeah)
Made my skin a little bit thicker (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Makes me that much smarter (yeah)
So thanks for making me a fighter (fighter)
You thought I would forget but I, I remembered (ooh-ooh-ooh)
'Cause I remembered (ooh-ooh-ooh)
I remembered
You thought I would forget (ooh-ooh)
I remembered (ooh-ooh)
'Cause I remembered (ooh)
I remembered
Makes me that much stronger (ooh-ooh)
Makes me work a little bit harder (ooh-ooh)
It makes me that much wiser
So thanks for making me a fighter
Made me learn a little bit faster
Made my skin a little bit thicker
Makes me that much smarter
So thanks for making me a fighter