Live Like You Were Dying (song)

2004 single by Tim McGraw

"Live Like You Were Dying"

Single by Tim McGraw
from the album  Live Like You Were Dying
B-side| "Just Be Your Tear"
Released| June 7, 2004 (2004-06-07)
Recorded| January 2004
Genre| Country
Length|

* 4:58 (album version)
* 4:28 (radio mix)

Label| Curb
Songwriter(s)|

* Tim Nichols
* Craig Wiseman

Producer(s)|

* Byron Gallimore
* Tim McGraw
* Darran Smith

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.

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

[edit]

"Live Like You Were Dying" tells the story of a man in his early forties who gets the news that he has a life-threatening illness. He experiences a profound shift in perspective on what is most important in life.

This song is often 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 died on January 5, 2004.[1]

## Background

[edit]

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

[edit]

"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

[edit]

The video starts with McGraw barefoot and looking at his toes. The video also features McGraw singing in an infinity cove with video clips added by CGI. The alternate version of the video, directed and produced by Sherman Halsey, McGraw's usual director of choice, ends with a clip of McGraw's father, the late 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.

## Cover versions

[edit]

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

[edit]

### Weekly chart

[edit]

| Chart (2004)  | Peak
position

|

Canada AC (Radio & Records)[9] | 13
Canada Country (Radio & Records)[10] | 1
US Billboard Hot 100[11] | 29
US Hot Country Songs (Billboard)[12] | 1
US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[13] | 4
US Pop Airplay (Billboard)[14] | 37
US Adult Pop Airplay (Billboard)[15] | 21

### Year-end charts

[edit]

Chart (2004)  | Position

|

US Country Songs (Billboard)[16] | 1
US Billboard Hot 100[17] | 81
Chart (2005)  | Position

|

US Adult Contemporary (Billboard)[18] | 6

### Certifications

[edit]

| Region  | Certification | Certified units/sales

|
|

United States (RIAA)[6] | 5× Platinum  | 2,313,000[7]

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Tug McGraw dies at 59". philadelphia.about.com. January 5, 2004. Archived from the original on 2006-02-08.
2. ^ a b c Doug Waterman (May 3, 2012). "Extended Q&A: Craig Wiseman". American Songwriter. Retrieved October 11, 2015.
3. ^ a b 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. ^ a b "American single certifications – Tim McGraw – Live Like You Were Dying". Recording Industry Association of America.
7. ^ a b 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)

* v
* t
* e

Tim McGraw singles

Singles discography

1990s|

| Tim McGraw|

|

Not a Moment Too Soon|

* "Indian Outlaw"
* "Don't Take the Girl"
* "Down on the Farm"
* "Not a Moment Too Soon"
* "Refried Dreams"

All I Want|

* "I Like It, I Love It"
* "Can't Be Really Gone"
* "All I Want Is a Life"
* "She Never Lets It Go to Her Heart"
* "Maybe We Should Just Sleep on It"

Everywhere|

* "It's Your Love"
* "Everywhere"
* "Just to See You Smile"
* "One of These Days"
* "Where the Green Grass Grows"
* "For a Little While"

2000s|

| A Place in the Sun|

* "Please Remember Me"
* "Something Like That"
* "My Best Friend"
* "Some Things Never Change"
* "My Next Thirty Years"

|

Set This Circus Down|

* "Grown Men Don't Cry"
* "Angry All the Time"
* "The Cowboy in Me"
* "Unbroken"

Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors|

* "Red Rag Top"
* "Tiny Dancer"
* "She's My Kind of Rain"
* "Real Good Man"
* "Watch the Wind Blow By"

Live Like You Were Dying|

* "Live Like You Were Dying"
* "Back When"
* "Drugs or Jesus"
* "Do You Want Fries with That"
* "My Old Friend"

Reflected: Greatest Hits Vol. 2|

* "When the Stars Go Blue"
* "My Little Girl"

Let It Go|

* "Last Dollar (Fly Away)"
* "I Need You"
* "If You're Reading This"
* "Suspicions"
* "Kristofferson"
* "Let It Go"
* "Nothin' to Die For"

2010s|

| Southern Voice|

* "It's a Business Doing Pleasure with You"
* "Southern Voice"
* "Still"

|

Number One Hits|

* "Felt Good on My Lips"

Country Strong|

* "Me and Tennessee"

Emotional Traffic|

* "Better Than I Used to Be"

Two Lanes of Freedom|

* "Truck Yeah"
* "One of Those Nights"
* "Highway Don't Care"
* "Southern Girl"

Sundown Heaven Town|

* "Lookin' for That Girl"
* "Meanwhile Back at Mama's"
* "Shotgun Rider"
* "Diamond Rings and Old Barstools"

Damn Country Music|

* "Top of the World"
* "Humble and Kind"
* "How I'll Always Be"

The Rest of Our Life|

* "Speak to a Girl"
* "The Rest of Our Life"

2020s|

| Here on Earth|

* "Neon Church"
* "Thought About You"
* "I Called Mama"
* "Undivided"
* "7500 OBO"

|

Standing Room Only|

* "Standing Room Only"
* "Paper Umbrellas"

Poet's Resumé|

* "One Bad Habit"

Other songs|

* "Just to Hear You Say That You Love Me"
* "Let's Make Love"
* "Bring On the Rain"
* "Over and Over"
* "Like We Never Loved at All"
* "Find Out Who Your Friends Are"
* "Feel Like a Rock Star"
* "Lovin' Lately"
* "May We All"
* "The Ride"
* "California"
* "Forever Country"
* "Wrong Ones"

Awards for "Live Like You Were Dying"

* v
* t
* e

CMA Single of the Year

1967−1970|

* "There Goes My Everything" (1967)
* "Harper Valley PTA" (1968)
* "A Boy Named Sue" (1969)
* "Okie from Muskogee" (1970)

1971−1980|

* "Help Me Make It Through the Night" (1971)
* "The Happiest Girl in the Whole U.S.A." (1972)
* "Behind Closed Doors" (1973)
* "Country Bumpkin" (1974)
* "Before the Next Teardrop Falls" (1975)
* "Good Hearted Woman" (1976)
* "Lucille" (1977)
* "Heaven's Just a Sin Away" (1978)
* "The Devil Went Down to Georgia" (1979)
* "He Stopped Loving Her Today" (1980)

1981−1990|

* "Elvira" (1981)
* "Always on My Mind" (1982)
* "Swingin'" (1983)
* "A Little Good News" (1984)
* "Why Not Me" (1985)
* "Bop" (1986)
* "Forever and Ever, Amen" (1987)
* "Eighteen Wheels and a Dozen Roses" (1988)
* "I'm No Stranger to the Rain" (1989)
* "When I Call Your Name" (1990)

1991−2000|

* "Friends in Low Places" (1991)
* "Achy Breaky Heart" (1992)
* "Chattahoochee" (1993)
* "I Swear" (1994)
* "When You Say Nothing at All" (1995)
* "Check Yes or No" (1996)
* "Strawberry Wine" (1997)
* "Holes in the Floor of Heaven" (1998)
* "Wide Open Spaces" (1999)
* "I Hope You Dance" (2000)

2001−2010|

* "I am a Man Of Constant Sorrow" (2001)
* "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" (2002)
* "Hurt" (2003)
* "Live Like You Were Dying" (2004)
* "I May Hate Myself in the Morning" (2005)
* "Believe" (2006)
* "Before He Cheats" (2007)
* "I Saw God Today" (2008)
* "I Run to You" (2009)
* "Need You Now" (2010)

2011−2020|

* "If I Die Young" (2011)
* "Pontoon" (2012)
* "Cruise" (2013)
* "Automatic" (2014)
* "Girl Crush" (2015)
* "Die a Happy Man" (2016)
* "Blue Ain't Your Color" (2017)
* "Broken Halos" (2018)
* "God's Country" (2019)
* "The Bones" (2020)

2021−2030|

* "Starting Over" (2021)
* "'Til You Can't" (2022)
* "Fast Car" (2023)
* "White Horse" (2024)

* v
* t
* e

Grammy Award for Best Country Song

Awarded to songwriters

1960s|

* "Dang Me" – Roger Miller (1965)
* "King of the Road" – Roger Miller (1966)
* "Almost Persuaded" – Billy Sherrill & Glenn Sutton (1967)
* "Gentle on My Mind" – John Hartford (1968)
* "Little Green Apples" – Bobby Russell (1969)

1970s|

* "A Boy Named Sue" – Shel Silverstein (1970)
* "My Woman, My Woman, My Wife" – Marty Robbins (1971)
* "Help Me Make It Through the Night" – Kris Kristofferson (1972)
* "Kiss an Angel Good Mornin'" – Ben Peters (1973)
* "Behind Closed Doors" – Kenny O'Dell (1974)
* "A Very Special Love Song" – Norro Wilson & Billy Sherrill (1975)
* "(Hey Won't You Play) Another Somebody Done Somebody Wrong Song" – Chips Moman & Larry Butler (1976)
* "Broken Lady" – Larry Gatlin (1977)
* "Don't It Make My Brown Eyes Blue" – Richard Leigh (1978)
* "The Gambler" – Don Schlitz (1979)

1980s|

* "You Decorated My Life" – Debbie Hupp & Bob Morrison (1980)
* "On the Road Again" – Willie Nelson (1981)
* "9 to 5" – Dolly Parton (1982)
* "Always on My Mind" – Wayne Carson, Johnny Christopher & Mark James (1983)
* "Stranger in My House" – Mike Reid (1984)
* "City of New Orleans" – Steve Goodman (1985)
* "Highwayman" – Jimmy Webb (1986)
* "Grandpa (Tell Me 'Bout the Good Old Days)" – Jamie O'Hara (1987)
* "Forever and Ever, Amen" – Paul Overstreet & Don Schlitz (1988)
* "Hold Me" – K. T. Oslin (1989)

1990s|

* "After All This Time" – Rodney Crowell (1980)
* "Where've You Been" – Don Henry & Jon Vezner (1991)
* "Love Can Build a Bridge" – John Barlow Jarvis, Naomi Judd & Paul Overstreet (1992)
* "I Still Believe in You" – Vince Gill & John Barlow Jarvis (1993)
* "Passionate Kisses" – Lucinda Williams (1994)
* "I Swear" – Gary Baker & Frank J. Myers (1995)
* "Go Rest High on That Mountain" – Vince Gill (1996)
* "Blue" – Bill Mack (1997)
* "Butterfly Kisses" – Bob Carlisle & Randy Thomas (1998)
* "You're Still the One" – Robert John "Mutt" Lange & Shania Twain (1999)

2000s|

* "Come On Over" – Robert John "Mutt" Lange & Shania Twain (2000)
* "I Hope You Dance" – Mark D. Sanders & Tia Sillers (2001)
* "The Lucky One" – Robert Lee Castleman (2002)
* "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" – Alan Jackson (2003)
* "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere" – Jim "Moose" Brown & Don Rollins (2004)
* "Live Like You Were Dying" – Tim Nichols & Craig Wiseman (2005)
* "Bless the Broken Road" – Bobby Boyd, Jeff Hanna, & Marcus Hummon (2006)
* "Jesus, Take the Wheel" – Hillary Lindsey, Brett James & Gordie Sampson (2007)
* "Before He Cheats" – Chris Tompkins & Josh Kear (2008)
* "Stay" – Jennifer Nettles (2009)

2010s|

* "White Horse" – Liz Rose & Taylor Swift (2010)
* "Need You Now" – Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott (2011)
* "Mean" – Taylor Swift (2012)
* "Blown Away" – Josh Kear & Chris Tompkins (2013)
* "Merry Go 'Round" – Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne (2014)
* "I'm Not Gonna Miss You" – Glen Campbell & Julian Raymond (2015)
* "Girl Crush" – Hillary Lindsey, Lori McKenna, & Liz Rose (2016)
* "Humble and Kind" – Lori McKenna (2017)
* "Broken Halos" – Mike Henderson & Chris Stapleton (2018)
* "Space Cowboy" – Luke Laird, Shane McAnally, & Kacey Musgraves (2019)

2020s|

* "Bring My Flowers Now" – Brandi Carlile, Phil Hanseroth, Tim Hanseroth, & Tanya Tucker (2020)
* "Crowded Table" – Brandi Carlile, Natalie Hemby & Lori McKenna (2021)
* "Cold" – Dave Cobb, J.T. Cure, Derek Mixon & Chris Stapleton (2022)
* "'Til You Can't" – Matt Rogers & Ben Stennis (2023)
* "White Horse" – Chris Stapleton & Dan Wilson (2024)
* "The Architect" – Shane McAnally, Kacey Musgraves & Josh Osborne (2025)

* v
* t
* e

Billboard Year-End Hot Country Songs number one single of the year

1980–1989|

* 1980: "My Heart" – Ronnie Milsap
* 1981: "Fire and Smoke" – Earl Thomas Conley
* 1982: "Always on My Mind" – Willie Nelson
* 1983: "José Cuervo" – Shelly West
* 1984: "To All the Girls I've Loved Before" – Julio Iglesias and Willie Nelson
* 1985: "Lost in the Fifties Tonight (In the Still of the Night)" – Ronnie Milsap
* 1986: "Never Be You" – Rosanne Cash
* 1987: "Give Me Wings" – Michael Johnson
* 1988: "Don't Close Your Eyes" – Keith Whitley
* 1989: "A Better Man" – Clint Black

1990–1999|

* 1990: "Nobody's Home" – Clint Black
* 1991: "Don't Rock the Jukebox" – Alan Jackson
* 1992: "I Saw the Light" – Wynonna Judd
* 1993: "Chattahoochee" – Alan Jackson
* 1994: "I Swear" – John Michael Montgomery
* 1995: "Sold (The Grundy County Auction Incident)" – John Michael Montgomery
* 1996: "My Maria" – Brooks & Dunn
* 1997: "It's Your Love" – Tim McGraw and Faith Hill
* 1998: "Just to See You Smile" – Tim McGraw
* 1999: "Amazed" – Lonestar

2000–2009|

* 2000: "How Do You Like Me Now?!" – Toby Keith
* 2001: "Ain't Nothing 'bout You" – Brooks & Dunn
* 2002: "The Good Stuff" – Kenny Chesney
* 2003: "My Front Porch Looking In" – Lonestar
* 2004: "Live Like You Were Dying" – Tim McGraw
* 2005: "That's What I Love About Sunday" – Craig Morgan
* 2006: "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" – Rodney Atkins
* 2007: "Watching You" – Rodney Atkins
* 2008: "Just Got Started Lovin' You" – James Otto
* 2009: "I Run to You" – Lady Antebellum

2010–2019|

* 2010: "Love Like Crazy" – Lee Brice
* 2011: "Crazy Girl" – Eli Young Band
* 2012: "Time Is Love" – Josh Turner
* 2013: "Cruise" – Florida Georgia Line
* 2014: "This Is How We Roll" – Florida Georgia Line featuring Luke Bryan
* 2015: "Take Your Time" – Sam Hunt
* 2016: "H.O.L.Y." – Florida Georgia Line
* 2017: "Body Like a Back Road" – Sam Hunt
* 2018: "Meant to Be" – Bebe Rexha featuring Florida Georgia Line
* 2019: "Whiskey Glasses" – Morgan Wallen

2020–2029|

* 2020: "I Hope" – Gabby Barrett
* 2021: "Forever After All" – Luke Combs
* 2022: "Wasted on You" – Morgan Wallen
* 2023: "Last Night" – Morgan Wallen
* 2024: "A Bar Song (Tipsy)" – Shaboozey

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