Viva Forever (1997) – Spice Girls

Melanie C (far right) has featured here as a solo artist, but Spice Girls haven’t – until today. I never grow tired of listening to today’s featured track, Viva Forever. Whenever it comes on my playlist, I know I’m going to enjoy it.

It feels a little strange too, considering the group targeted a young female fan base with their “girl power” mantra – but I confess: I’m a fan of this song. I particularly enjoy the Spanish-style elements woven through it as well.

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Most of the following was abridged from the Wikipedia article below:

The inspiration for the song’s theme came from the idea of a summer romance during a holiday vacation on the Costa Brava or Costa del Sol in the Spanish Mediterranean, and the people the group met during those holidays.

The single appeared on the Spice Girls’ second studio album, Spiceworld (1997), which was released in conjunction with the film Spice World. It’s release was delayed several times and poorly promoted since the group were dealing with Geri Halliwell (second from left) who had just left the band. Despite that Viva Forever was a huge commercial success, debuting atop the UK Chart, becoming the group’s seventh number-one single in the United Kingdom and staying at the position for two weeks.

The Spice Girls consists of Mel B (“Scary Spice”), Melanie C (“Sporty Spice”), Emma Bunton (“Baby Spice”), Geri Halliwell (“Ginger Spice”), and Victoria Beckham (“Posh Spice”). The group formed in 1994 and have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, making them the best-selling girl group of all time. 

The music video below shows animation of the group as fairies, and it took five months to be completed. The video was commissioned months before Halliwell’s departure and as such, she is featured in it and on the accompanying artwork. The song was co-written by the group with Matt Rowe and Richard Stannard while production was handled by the latter two. They later confirmed that the lyrics were mainly penned by Geri Halliwell.

[Verse 1: Baby]
Do you still remember
How we used to be?
Feeling together, believing whatever
My love has said to me
Both of us were dreamers
Young love in the sun
Felt like my saviour, my spirit I gave ya
We’d only just begun

[Pre-Chorus: Scary & Baby]
Hasta mañana
Always be mine

[Chorus: All]
Viva forever, I’ll be waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever for the moment
Ever searching for the one

[Verse 2: Scary, Scary & Baby, Sporty, Sporty & Baby]
Yes, I still remember
Every whispered word
The touch of your skin, giving life from within
Like a love song never heard
Slipping through our fingers
Like the sands of time
Promises made, every memory saved
As reflections in my mind

[Pre-Chorus: Scary & Baby, Sporty]
Hasta mañana
Always be mine (Always be mine)

[Chorus: All]
Viva forever, I’ll be waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever for the moment
Ever searching for the one

[Verse 3: Posh, Posh & Baby]
Back where I belong now
Was it just a dream?
Feelings unfold, they will never be sold
And the secret’s safe with me

[Pre-Chorus: Scary & Baby, Sporty]
Hasta mañana
Always be mine (Always be mine)

[Chorus: All, Sporty]
Viva forever (Viva forever), I’ll be waiting (I’ll be waiting)
Everlasting (Everlasting) like the sun (Like the sun)
Live forever (Live forever) for the moment (For the moment)
Ever searching (Ever searching) for the one (For the one)
Viva forever (Viva forever), I’ll be waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever (Live forever) for the moment
Ever searching for the one
Viva forever (Viva forever), I’ll be waiting
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever (Live forever) for the moment
Ever searching for the one

[Outro: Scary, Sporty]
Viva forever, I’ll be waiting (I’ll be waiting)
Everlasting like the sun
Live forever (Live forever) for the moment
Ever searching for the one

References:
1. Viva Forever – Wikipedia