The song was a minor hit when it was first released on 2 March 1992, reaching number 28 on the UK Singles Chart, and even reaching the top 100 in the US. However the song later gained popularity when the BBC football programme, Match of the Day, began to use it frequently for segments including "Goal of the Month", throughout most of the 1990s.[2] The song was still associated with the programme many years later and featured in a similar "Goal of the Day" segment in the mid-2000s.[3] It is still occasionally used for the same section as of 2025.
Background
The writer of the song, Ian Broudie, cites his son Riley as the namesake of the piece. The song title has also been used for a compilation album, Life of Riley: The Lightning Seeds Collection. A remix of "The Life of Riley" appeared on the single "Sense", and an instrumental version appeared on "Change". The single was also later reissued.[4] The phrase "the life of Riley" (or "Reilly") is also an old Irish expression meaning a pleasant life.
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