Live Like You Were Dying (song)

Last updated
"Live Like You Were Dying"
Live Like.jpg
Single by Tim McGraw
from the album Live Like You Were Dying
B-side "Just Be Your Tear"
ReleasedJune 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
RecordedJanuary 2004
Genre Country
Length
  • 4:58(album version)
  • 4:28 (radio mix)
Label Curb
Songwriter(s)
Producer(s)
Tim McGraw singles chronology
"Watch the Wind Blow By"
(2003)		"Live Like You Were Dying"
(2004)		"Back When"
(2004)

"Live Like You Were Dying" is a song recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw, and was the lead single from his eighth album of the same name (2004). It was written by the songwriting team of Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman. The duo crafted the song based on family and friends who learned of illnesses (cancers), and how they often had a new perspective on life upon learning that they had limited time remaining. They decided to write a song based on the concept, hoping that it might inspire someone in such a situation. The song's lyrics center on experiencing life to its fullest, while also becoming a better person.

Contents

Released in June 2004 as the lead single from the album, the song became an enormous success in the U.S. It spent seven weeks atop of the Billboard country music charts; the magazine later ranked it the biggest country song of the year. "Live Like You Were Dying" won several awards, including Single of the Year and Song of the Year at the 2004 Country Music Association Awards and at the 2004 Academy of Country Music Awards and the 2004 Grammy Award for Best Country Song. The music video, directed by Sherman Halsey, was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2004 Academy of Country Music Awards. It has sold over two million copies in the U.S.

Content

"Live Like You Were Dying" is a song by Tim McGraw. It tells the story of a man in his early forties who receives the news that he has an unspecified life-threatening illness, most likely cancer. The man is determined to live his life to the fullest and makes a list of things he wants to do before he dies. In the song "Live Like You Were Dying," the singer comes to realize that what is most important in life is not material possessions or status, but rather relationships and experiences. The lyrics highlight the importance of living each day to the fullest and not taking life for granted. This song is about a profound shift in perspective that leads to a new way of living. The message is to live life to the fullest and do things that you've always wanted to do. Some examples are skydiving, mountain climbing, fishing, and bull riding. Tim McGraw says that after reading the Bible, he finally took a long hard look at his life and past. He also says that he became a better husband and friend because of the song's message. He says that he tries to live each day to the fullest, and that has made him a better person.

Tim McGraw's father, Tug McGraw, was hospitalized with a brain tumor on March 12, 2003. It was later revealed that he had cancer, and he died on January 5, 2004, at the age of 59. "Live Like You Were Dying" is often associated with Tug McGraw. [1]

Background

The song was written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman. The duo had a friend who received a medical misdiagnosis regarding a form of lung cancer. Wiseman and Nichols began discussing family members and friends who learned of illnesses, and how they often had a new perspective on life upon learning that they had limited time remaining. They decided to write a song based on the concept, hoping that it might inspire someone in such a situation. [2] After they came up with the title, they began writing the first verse and chorus. [3] They found themselves attached to the song, and continued to write it late into the night over the phone. [4] "I remember going in my totally dark living room, laying on the floor, and we wrote the second verse on the phone," Wiseman recalled. The inclusion of the lyric about riding a bull was intended as a sort of "palette cleanse," as they felt the chorus was growing too sentimental. The duo judged its creation as a "really spiritual thing, because it came strong. Me and Tim's instincts and intuitions just kept leading us." [2]

The song was demoed within a few days of its writing by Wiseman, and was chosen by McGraw to be his next lead single. [3] Wiseman remembered the song had personal significance for McGraw, who commented that he himself had gone fishing with his father prior to a quadruple bypass surgery. [2]

Commercial performance

"Live Like You Were Dying" debuted at number 36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the chart week of June 5, 2004. It reached No. 1 on the chart dated July 17, 2004, the song's seventh week on the chart. [5] It spent three weeks at the top before being replaced by Reba McEntire's "Somebody" on the chart dated August 7. The following week, "Live Like You Were Dying" returned to number one for four additional weeks until it was dethroned by Terri Clark's "Girls Lie Too" on September 11. It ultimately spent seven non-consecutive weeks at number one over two separate runs. The song was certified five-times Platinum by the RIAA on October 10, 2024, [6] and it has sold 2,313,000 copies in the US as of July 2016. [7]

Music video

The video for "Live Like You Were Dying" begins with Tim McGraw barefoot, looking at his toes. The video then shows McGraw singing in an infinity cove, with video clips added by computer-generated imagery. The alternate version of the video for "Live Like You Were Dying" was directed and produced by Sherman Halsey, McGraw's usual director of choice. The video ends with a clip of McGraw's father, the late Tug McGraw, pitching the final strike for the 1980 World Series Philadelphia Phillies. This was the team's only World Series Championship at the time. The video for the song "Live Like You Were Dying" was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music Awards.

Cover versions

Singer–songwriter Drew Pizzulo released his cover of "Live Like You Were Dying" and topped the Country Cover charts as well as hitting #2 on the Country chart in October 2022 on Soundclick.com. [8]

Charts

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McGraw</span> American country singer and actor (born 1967)

Samuel Timothy McGraw is an American country singer and actor. He has released 16 studio albums. 10 of those albums have reached number one on the Top Country Albums charts, with his 1994 breakthrough album Not a Moment Too Soon being the top country album of 1994. In total, McGraw's albums have produced 65 singles, 25 of which have reached number one on the Hot Country Songs or Country Airplay charts.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2004.

<i>Live Like You Were Dying</i> 2004 studio album by Tim McGraw

Live Like You Were Dying is the eighth studio album by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released on August 24, 2004, by Curb Records. It was recorded in a mountaintop studio in upstate New York. It entered the Billboard 200 chart at number one, with sales of 766,000 copies in its first week. The album was certified 4× Platinum by the RIAA for shipping four million copies, and was nominated for Best Country Album at the 47th Annual Grammy Awards. That same year at the Grammys, the title track from Live Like You Were Dying was nominated for Song of the Year and won in the categories Best Country Song and Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Five singles were released from the album, all were top 15 hits on the Hot Country Songs chart, two of which hit #1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McGraw (song)</span> 2006 single by Taylor Swift

"Tim McGraw" is the debut single by the American singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, who wrote it with Liz Rose for her debut studio album, Taylor Swift (2006). Big Machine Records released the song to US country radio on June 19, 2006. Produced by Nathan Chapman, "Tim McGraw" is an acoustic guitar–led country ballad that incorporates the '50s progression and elements of alternative rock. In the lyrics, Swift's narrator pleads with her ex-boyfriend to remember her every time he hears her favorite song by the country musician Tim McGraw, the song's namesake.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Last Dollar (Fly Away)</span> 2007 single by Tim McGraw

"Last Dollar (Fly Away)" is a song written by Big Kenny, one half of the duo Big & Rich, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in January 2007 as the first single from his album Let It Go. "Last Dollar (Fly Away)" reached Number One on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts, becoming McGraw's first Number One country hit since "Back When" in late 2004. Big Kenny later recorded the song for his 2010 album, Big Kenny's Love Everybody Traveling Musical Medicine Show Mix Tape, Vol. 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josh Kear</span> Musical artist

Josh Kear is a multi-Grammy Award winning songwriter based in Nashville, Tennessee.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Craig Wiseman</span> American songwriter

Craig Michael Wiseman is an American country music songwriter and producer, and the owner/founder of the Big Loud enterprise. He has been writing since the late 1980s, and his songs have been recorded by Lorrie Morgan, Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Dolly Parton, Blake Shelton, and numerous other acts. He has written twenty-six No. 1 songs on the Billboard Hot Country Songs music charts, and has won a number of industry awards. In 2009, he was named "Songwriter of the Decade" by the Nashville Songwriters Association International, and in 2015, he was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Summertime (Kenny Chesney song)</span> 2006 single by Kenny Chesney

"Summertime" is a song written by Craig Wiseman and Steve McEwan and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in April 2006 as the third single from Chesney’s 2005 album The Road and the Radio. The song reached number one on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Back When</span> 2004 single by Tim McGraw

"Back When" is a song written by Stan Lynch, Stephony Smith, and Jeff Stevens and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in August 2004 as the second single from McGraw's 2004 album Live Like You Were Dying. The song reached number one on U.S. the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in December 2004 and peaked at number 30 on the Billboard Hot 100.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">I Go Back</span> 2004 single by Kenny Chesney

"I Go Back" is a song written and recorded by American country music artist Kenny Chesney. It was released in May 2004 as the third single from his 2004 album When the Sun Goes Down. The song spent seven weeks at number 2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs chart in mid-2004, behind "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Everywhere (Tim McGraw song)</span> 1997 single by Tim McGraw

"Everywhere" is a song written by Mike Reid and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in July 1997 as the second single from his album of the same name. The song reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and peaked at number 2 on the RPM Country Tracks chart in Canada. Despite reaching Number One on Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks, the song did not appear on McGraw's Greatest Hits album. It did, however, later appear on his second Greatest Hits package, Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Cowboy in Me</span> 2001 single by Tim McGraw

"The Cowboy in Me" is a song written by Jeffrey Steele, Al Anderson and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in November 2001 as the third single from McGraw's Set This Circus Down album. The song reached number one on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts just one week after McGraw's duet with Jo Dee Messina, "Bring On the Rain".

Tim Nichols is an American country music singer and songwriter. Active since the late 1980s, Nichols has written for several country music singers including Keith Whitley, Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Jo Dee Messina, and Alan Jackson. He and songwriter Zack Turner recorded one album for BNA Entertainment in 1993 as the duo Turner Nichols, in addition to charting two singles as one half of that duo. Nichols, along with Craig Wiseman, earned a Grammy Award for Best Country Song in 2004, for McGraw's Number One hit "Live Like You Were Dying".

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nothin' to Die For</span> 2009 single by Tim McGraw

"Nothin' to Die For" is a song written by Lee Thomas Miller and Craig Wiseman, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in January 2009 as the seventh and final single from his album Let It Go. It is McGraw's fifty-first chart entry on the Billboard country charts. It peaked at number 5 in the United States, and number 3 in Canada in April 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Drugs or Jesus</span> 2005 single by Tim McGraw

"Drugs or Jesus" is a song written by Brett James, Troy Verges, Aimee Mayo and Chris Lindsey, and recorded by American country music singer Tim McGraw. It was released in January 2005 as the third single from his album Live Like You Were Dying. It peaked at number 14, thus becoming his first single since "Two Steppin' Mind" in 1993 to miss the top ten.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">My Old Friend</span> 2005 single by Tim McGraw

"My Old Friend" is a song written by Craig Wiseman and Steve McEwan, and recorded by American country music artist Tim McGraw. It was released in September 2005 as the fifth and final single from his album Live Like You Were Dying. It peaked at number 6 on the country music charts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Highway Don't Care</span> 2013 single by Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift featuring Keith Urban

"Highway Don't Care" is a song recorded by American country music singers Tim McGraw and Taylor Swift on vocals, featuring Keith Urban on guitar. It was released to US country radio on March 25, 2013, as the third single from McGraw's first album for Big Machine Records, Two Lanes of Freedom (2013). The song was written by Mark Irwin, Josh Kear and Brad and Brett Warren. McGraw and Swift recorded their parts separately. This is Swift's seventh number one hit on Billboard's Country Airplay chart.

Country Airplay is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States since October 20, 2012, although the magazine also retrospectively recognizes the Hot Country Songs charts from January 20, 1990, through October 13, 2012, as part of the history of the Country Airplay listing. The chart lists the 60 most-listened-to records played on 150 mainstream country radio stations across the country as monitored by Nielsen BDS, weighted to each station's Nielsen ratings.

This is a list of notable events in country music that took place in 2016.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim McGraw singles discography</span>

American singer and songwriter Tim McGraw has had 75 singles spanning 16 studio albums.

References

  1. ↑ "Tug McGraw dies at 59". philadelphia.about.com. January 5, 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-02-08.
  2. 1 2 3 Doug Waterman (May 3, 2012). "Extended Q&A: Craig Wiseman". American Songwriter . Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  3. 1 2 Jake Brown (2014). Nashville Songwriter: The Inside Stories Behind Country Music's Greatest Hits. BenBella Books. pp. 19–20.
  4. ↑ Vi-An Nguyen (September 8, 2014). "Songwriters Reveal the Story Behind 'Live Like You Were Dying' by Tim McGraw". Parade . Retrieved October 11, 2015.
  5. ↑ "Hot Country Songs". Billboard. July 17, 2016.
  6. 1 2 "American single certifications – Tim McGraw – Live Like You Were Dying". Recording Industry Association of America.
  7. 1 2 Bjorke, Matt (July 26, 2016). "Top 30 Digital Country Singles Chart: July 26". Roughstock.
  8. ↑ "LIVE LIKE YOU WERE DYING (2020) by Drew Pizzulo".
  9. ↑ "Canada AC Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records . March 18, 2005. p. 47. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  10. ↑ "Canada Country Top 30" (PDF). Radio & Records . August 20, 2004. p. 44. Retrieved May 8, 2024.
  11. ↑ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  12. ↑ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Hot Country Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  13. ↑ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  14. ↑ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  15. ↑ "Tim McGraw Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved 2010-08-24.
  16. ↑ "Best of 2004: Country Songs". Billboard . Prometheus Global Media. 2004. Retrieved July 11, 2012.
  17. ↑ "Billboard Top 100 – 2004". Billboardtop100of.com. Retrieved May 23, 2021.
  18. ↑ "Hot Adult Contemporary Songs: Year-End 2005" (PDF). Prometheus Global Media. December 24, 2005. p. YE-76. Retrieved July 27, 2023.{{cite magazine}}: Cite magazine requires |magazine= (help)
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.