'I'm a survivor!' Michelle Knight releases song and music video inspired by the 10 years she spent as a prisoner in Ariel Castro's house of horrors

  • The Cleveland kidnap survivor has released a song – entitled Survivor – about the 10 years she spent locked up in Ariel Castro's home
  • Knight, 34, started writing the lyrics to the song while trapped in Castro's basement
  • 'What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger / My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor,' she sings on the song's chorus
  • Knight has also shot a music video which features images of her singing, praying in a church and wandering the streets of Cleveland in a hoodie

By David Mccormack and Ashley Collman For Dailymail.com

Published: | Updated:

First a book, then a movie and now Cleveland kidnap survivor Michelle Knight has released a song – entitled Survivor – about the 10 years she spent locked up in Ariel Castro's basement.

The song was released via iTunes, Google Play and Amazon on Tuesday and Knight has also shot a music video which features images of her singing, praying in a church and wandering the streets of Cleveland in a hoodie.

'What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger / If I hold on, a little longer / And when my hope fades away, they keep the light on / My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor,' she sings on the song's chorus. 

Cleveland kidnap survivor Michelle Knight has released a song – entitled Survivor – about the 10 years she spent locked up in Ariel Castro's Cleveland home

Cleveland kidnap survivor Michelle Knight has released a song – entitled Survivor – about the 10 years she spent locked up in Ariel Castro's Cleveland home

Michelle, who wanders around a church in the video, hopes that the song can inspire and offer a message of hope to others

Michelle, who wanders around a church in the video, hopes that the song can inspire and offer a message of hope to others

SURVIVOR LYRICS, BY CLEVELAND KIDNAP VICTIM MICHELLE KNIGHT

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger

If I hold on, a little longer

And when our hope fades away, they keep the light on

My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor X 2

 

They told me I was nothing, that I was born a mistake

Tried to convince me my existence hasn't faded to gray 

And that I'm worthless but it don't hurt me to say

I've been through hell and back but can't you see the smile on my face?

Even though years of my life have been taken away

When every day turned to night, twice a day I would pray 

On every star to collide and give me the strength 

To break the walls I'm living, I'm not giving up on my faith today

 

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger

If I hold on, a little longer

If when my hope fades away, they keep the light on

My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor 

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger

If I hold on, a little longer

I told my baby today, that's who I'm fighting for

Mama's gonna see you again, I'm a survivor

 

You kept my hope, wrapped inside of your game

Made me ashamed of myself for reasons I can't explain 

I'll never know, just how you got your pleasure from pain

I've been through hell and back but can't you see the smile on my face?

Even though years of my life have been taken away 

When every day turned to night, twice a day I would pray 

On every star to collide and give me the strength 

To break the walls I'm living, I'm not giving up on my faith today

 

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger

If I hold on, a little longer

And when our hope fades away, they keep the light on 

My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor

What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger

If I hold on, a little longer

I told my baby today, that's who I'm fighting for

Mama's gonna see you again, I'm a survivor 

Knight, 34, started writing the lyrics to the song while trapped in Castro's basement, then earlier this year she met producer Aaron 'D-Boyy' Dissell who helped turn her inspiring words into a song.

'We worked so hard on it and I think the outlook on the song is amazing,' she told FOX 8 Cleveland.

'Way before the house, music was always my thing. If I was being abused by somebody I loved and I didn't understand it, I would sit down and write my feelings about what was going on, how I felt about it.'

Michelle hopes that the song can inspire and offer a message of hope to others.

May 7 was the two-year anniversary of her escape from the Cleveland house where she had been kept captive for more than a decade. 

Knight, 34, started writing the lyrics to the song while trapped in Castro's basement, then earlier this year she met producer Aaron 'D-Boyy' Dissell who helped turn her inspiring words into a song

Knight, 34, started writing the lyrics to the song while trapped in Castro's basement, then earlier this year she met producer Aaron 'D-Boyy' Dissell who helped turn her inspiring words into a song

'What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger / If I hold on, a little longer / And when my hope fades away, they keep the light on / My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor,' sings Knight on the song's chorus

'What doesn't kill me, makes me stronger / If I hold on, a little longer / And when my hope fades away, they keep the light on / My angels keep me awake, I'm a survivor,' sings Knight on the song's chorus

Knight was 21 years old in August 2002 when Ariel Castro kidnapped her and took her back to his home where she was later joined by Amanda Berry and Gina DeJesus.

For years Castro kept the three girls locked up, subjecting them to abuse and rape, but the trio finally made a dramatic escape on May 6, 2013 when their tormentor left a door unlocked.

Castro was arrested, but committed suicide in prison after being sentenced to life in prison.

Despite her traumatic years in Castro's captivity, Knight has been able to put the past behind her and focus on the future.

Earlier this month she told Fox 8 Cleveland about her new mystery boyfriend, saying: 'He's such an amazing person. He's sweet-hearted. He's right there with me all the time and he supports everything that I do.'

In addition to her new relationship, Knight recently assisted in the making of a Lifetime movie about her abduction.

Tormentor: Knight was 21 years old in August 2002 when Castro (center, in orange) kidnapped her. He kept her locked inside his Cleveland, Ohio home for the next decade 

Tormentor: Knight was 21 years old in August 2002 when Castro (center, in orange) kidnapped her. He kept her locked inside his Cleveland, Ohio home for the next decade 

Fellow survivors: Knight (center) was later joined by fellow captive Amanda Berry (left) and Gina DeJesus 

Fellow survivors: Knight (center) was later joined by fellow captive Amanda Berry (left) and Gina DeJesus 

Prison: The three women made an escape from Castro's house (which has since been demolished) on May 6, 2013

Prison: The three women made an escape from Castro's house (which has since been demolished) on May 6, 2013

'I had to dig pretty deep to let my emotions go into this movie,' she said. 

'Because I wanted to give the world something to have hope, courage and strength and know that amongst all the darkness, you can still rise above all that.'

Through the production of the movie, Knight became friends with actress Taryn Manning, the Orange is the New Black star that plays Knight in the television film.

Knight now plans to go to school to become a therapist and hopes to write another book.

Her memoir Finding Me: A Decade Of Darkness, A Life Reclaimed: A Memoir Of The Cleveland Kidnappings became a bestseller in 2014 and was used as reference for the 2015 Lifetime movie Cleveland Abduction.

Last month, DeJesus and Berry released a book of their own, titled Hope.

'God definitely had a purpose for my life, and it's definitely helping people,' Knight said. 

Taryn Manning and Michelle Knight
Actress Taryn Manning (left) played Knight (right) in a recent Lifetime movie about her abduction

Famous friends: Actress Taryn Manning played Knight in a recent Lifetime movie about her abduction. Knight and Manning pictured together on the left, and a still from the movie on the right 


 

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