Viva Forever by Spice Girls

Album: Spiceworld (1997)

Charted: 1

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

"Viva Forever" is Spanglish for "Live Forever." There's a bit more Spanish in the song as well: "hasta mañana" is a goodbye, literally meaning "until tomorrow."
The song finds the Spice Girls longing for an ex who will always remain in their hearts. They wrote the song with their producers, Richard Stannard and Matt Rowe.
Geri Halliwell (Ginger Spice) is featured on this song and her fairy avatar is in the video, but she left the group on May 31, 1998 before it was released as a single. Her departure was abrupt, leaving the middle of their Spiceworld Tour.
The concept of "forever" is big in Spice Girls lore. "Viva Forever" was released on their second album, Spiceworld, in 1997. After Halliwell left, it wasn't clear if the group would continue without her, but after some time off they returned in 2000 with an album titled Forever. The proved a misnomer when they broke up a year later. They did get back together (with Halliwell) in 2007.
Even though Geri Halliwell was no longer with the group when it was released, "Viva Forever" still went to #1 in the UK, their seventh of nine chart-toppers there.

Comments: 12

Diamond Lil from OntarioI love this song. I remember dancing with El to this and then he disappeared from my life in the twinkle of an eye.
Thanks El for the good times.
Jonathan from United KingdomThe song was originally called 'Obrigado' which means 'thank you' in Portuguese. Viva Forever was originally intended to be a double A-Side with the track 'Never Give Up On The Good Times' but that idea was scrapped when Geri left the band in May of 1998. At a production time of five months, the music video for Viva Forever took two months longer to create than Spiceworld The Movie! The creators used stop-motion animation as the Girls, who were on their world tour at the time, were simply far too busy to film a music video for the song. Five 12 inch tin puppets were produced and they were created by the same team behind the Wallace And Gromit movies. Geri was included in the video as there was no time to re-record the vocal and besides, the puppets had already been commissioned prior to her departure of the band. Each member of the band are still in possession of their individual puppet. Toy versions of the puppets (minus Geri) were included in the last set of official Spice Girls dolls although other merchandise was originally planned but dropped when the band changed their image at the beginning of 1999.
Krista from Carbondale, PaThis song brings back memories of my childhood. My friends and I LOVED Spice Girls back in the day and to this day I still like them!
Adil from Karachi, PakistanLove forever - touches the soulmate nature of love.
Nina Hikari from Nowhere, MoThis is a lovely, sad song. I remember when the performed it on Top of The Pops...
Jason from Dublin, Irelandlovely song possibly s.g.'s best.
Mjn Seifer from Not Listed For Personal Reason, EnglandI love this song I as can relate to it. But I found the video an embarassment...
Rachel from Liecester, United Statesviva forever is my favoroute song because everytime i listen to it, it reminds me of all the family and animals ihave lost in the past.
Thomas from Borehamwood, Englandthis song was indeed counted as a number 1 hit for Geri too.
Thomas from Borehamwood, Englandthis song should be counted as a number 1 for Geri too as she is featured singing in the soundtrack ,video and the album it came from even though she had left the band before it was released.
Heather from Bristol, Vathis song is about waiting for a last love
Pete from Kirkkonummi, FinlandGeri's last show with Spice Girls was in Helsinki, Finland.

see more comments

More Songfacts:

Anybody Seen My Baby?The Rolling Stones

k.d. lang is a credited writer on the Rolling Stones song "Anybody Seen My Baby?" because it sounds so much like her hit "Constant Craving."

Jailhouse RockElvis Presley

The name "Schoolhouse Rock," which was a series of educational cartoons, was a play on "Jailhouse Rock," the title of an Elvis Presley song.

Jay-Z's 2012 "Glory" features his daughter Blue Ivy Carter's cries and coos. At less than two days old, she became the youngest ever credited artist to feature on a Billboard chart when the song debuted on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs at #74.

Wrecking BallMiley Cyrus

Miley Cyrus didn't write "Wrecking Ball" but could very much relate to it. She was having problems in her relationship with Liam Hemsworth, so the theme of giving your love only to have it wrecked really resonated with her.

Everyday I Write The BookElvis Costello

Elvis Costello says "Everyday I Write The Book" is a knockoff of Nick Lowe's "When I Write the Book."

Paul RevereBeastie Boys

In Beastie Boys' "Paul Revere," the title refers to the name of a horse. They took it from a song in the musical Guys And Dolls where a character sings, "I got the horse right here, the name is Paul Revere."