Written by Didier Barbelivien, it was released first in June 1989 as the first single from his only album Des Nuits (1990), on which it is the ninth and last track.

It was a summer hit in France, reaching number two on the singles chart, and has become a popular song throughout years.

The recording of "Je te survivrai" was difficult because François had a slight lisp and a thinner voice than expected, so that Barbelivien first wanted to give up; however, sound engineer Bernard Estardy had the idea to record François with a broken voice, then mixed the song for weeks.

[4] The success of the single allowed François to record an album, Des Nuits, which was released in 1990 and provided another top ten hit, "Il a neigé sur les lacs".

The music video for "Je te survivrai" was directed by Simon Lelouch and shows François riding on the beaches of Camargue.