Live Like You Were Dying (song)
Encyclopedia
"Live Like You Were Dying" is a song written by Tim Nichols
and Craig Wiseman
and performed by American country music
artist Tim McGraw
. The song appears on his Live Like You Were Dying
album. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard
country music charts, and held that position for a total of seven weeks. In addition, it was named as the Number One country song of 2004 by Billboard. The music video, directed by Sherman Halsey
was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music
Awards.
, and bull riding
. He also says that he became a better husband and friend. McGraw then switches perspective to himself, talking about how going fishing with his dad stopped being an imposition and how he finally, after reading the Bible, took a long hard look back over his life and took his father's advice by going skydiving, mountain climbing, and bull riding.
This song is associated with McGraw's father, Tug McGraw
, who was hospitalized with a brain tumor on March 12, 2003. It was revealed that he had cancer
. He was given three weeks to live by the doctors, but survived nine months. He died on January 5, 2004.
with video clips added by CGI
. The video, directed by Sherman Halsey
, McGraw's usual director of choice, ends with a clip of Tug McGraw pitching the final strike for the 1980 World Champion
Philadelphia Phillies
, which, at the time, was the team's only World Series Championship. The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music
Awards.
Tim Nichols
Tim Nichols Tim Nichols Tim Nichols (born in Portsmouth, Virginia 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...
and Craig Wiseman
Craig Wiseman
Craig Michael Wiseman is an American country music songwriter. Active since the late 1980s as a songwriter, he has had his songs recorded by Tim McGraw, Faith Hill, Kenny Chesney, LeAnn Rimes, and several other acts....
and performed by American country music
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Tim McGraw
Tim McGraw
Samuel Timothy "Tim" McGraw is an American country singer and actor. Many of McGraw's albums and singles have topped the country music charts with total album sales in excess of 40 million units in the US, making him the eighth best-selling artist, and the third best-selling country singer, in the...
. The song appears on his Live Like You Were Dying
Live Like You Were Dying
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 and 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...
album. It reached #1 on the U.S. Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
country music charts, and held that position for a total of seven weeks. In addition, it was named as the Number One country song of 2004 by Billboard. The music video, directed by Sherman Halsey
Sherman Halsey
Sherman Halsey is an American music video and television director, producer, and artist manager. Sherman Halsey has produced and directed hundreds of television shows and music videos for artists such as Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, BB King, Michael Bolton, Dwight Yoakam, and many...
was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
Awards.
Content
"Live Like You Were Dying" tells the story of a man in his early forties who gets the news that his father has an unspecified, life threatening illness. His father's message is to live life to the fullest and do things that he had always wanted to do, such as skydiving, mountain climbing, fishingFishing
Fishing is the activity of trying to catch wild fish. Fish are normally caught in the wild. Techniques for catching fish include hand gathering, spearing, netting, angling and trapping....
, and bull riding
Bull riding
Bull riding refers to rodeo sports that involve a rider getting on a large bull and attempting to stay mounted while the animal attempts to buck off the rider....
. He also says that he became a better husband and friend. McGraw then switches perspective to himself, talking about how going fishing with his dad stopped being an imposition and how he finally, after reading the Bible, took a long hard look back over his life and took his father's advice by going skydiving, mountain climbing, and bull riding.
This song is associated with McGraw's father, Tug McGraw
Tug McGraw
Frank Edwin "Tug" McGraw Jr. was a Major League Baseball relief pitcher and the father of Country music singer Tim McGraw and actor/TV personality Mark McGraw and Cari McGraw...
, who was hospitalized with a brain tumor on March 12, 2003. It was revealed that he had cancer
Cancer
Cancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
. He was given three weeks to live by the doctors, but survived nine months. He died on January 5, 2004.
Music video
The music video features Tim McGraw singing in an infinity coveInfinity cove
In photography, an infinity cove or infinity cyclorama is an all-white space with no corners, designed to give the impression that the background of an object extends to infinity....
with video clips added by CGI
Computer-generated imagery
Computer-generated imagery is the application of the field of computer graphics or, more specifically, 3D computer graphics to special effects in art, video games, films, television programs, commercials, simulators and simulation generally, and printed media...
. The video, directed by Sherman Halsey
Sherman Halsey
Sherman Halsey is an American music video and television director, producer, and artist manager. Sherman Halsey has produced and directed hundreds of television shows and music videos for artists such as Tim McGraw, Brooks and Dunn, Alan Jackson, BB King, Michael Bolton, Dwight Yoakam, and many...
, McGraw's usual director of choice, ends with a clip of Tug McGraw pitching the final strike for the 1980 World Champion
1980 World Series
-Game 1:Tuesday, October 14, 1980 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaThe Royals jumped on Philly rookie starter Bob Walk early with a pair of two run bombs—one by Amos Otis in the second and another by Willie Aikens in the third...
Philadelphia Phillies
Philadelphia Phillies
The Philadelphia Phillies are a Major League Baseball team. They are the oldest continuous, one-name, one-city franchise in all of professional American sports, dating to 1883. The Phillies are a member of the Eastern Division of Major League Baseball's National League...
, which, at the time, was the team's only World Series Championship. The video was nominated for Video of the Year at the 2006 Academy of Country Music
Academy of Country Music
The Academy of Country Music was founded in 1964 in Los Angeles, California as the Country & Western Music Academy. Whereas the Country Music Association, founded in 1958, was based in Nashville, the Academy sought to promote country music in the western states. Among those involved in the...
Awards.
Chart performance
"Live Like You Were Dying" debuted at #36 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the chart week of June 5, 2004.| Chart (2004–2005) | Peak position |
|---|---|