If I Die Young
"If I Die Young" is a song written by Kimberly Perry, and recorded by American country music trio The Band Perry. It was released on June 8, 2010, as the second single from the group's self-titled debut album.
"If I Die Young"
June 8, 2010
- 3:43 (album version)
- 3:35 (pop single mix)
Content[edit]
"If I Die Young" is a mid-tempo tune accompanied by acoustic guitar, banjo, accordion, mandolin, fiddle, electric bass, and drums. It is in the key of E Major. The song is about the sadness of dying young ("The sharp knife of a short life") as the narrator describes how she never really got to experience love and worrying about how her loved ones will miss her and deal with the loss. She recognizes that once someone passes away, others seem to pay more attention to that person's life: "And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin' / Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'." She states that if she dies young, then her family left behind should "save their tears" for a time when "they're really gonna need them." She states that she has had a well-lived life in the line "Well, I've had just enough time."
Music video[edit]
The music video, which was directed by David McClister, premiered on CMT on May 27, 2010.[10] In the video, the band is shown setting Kimberly Perry in a canoe before pushing it off into the river. Perry is holding a book containing poems by Tennyson, including "The Lady of Shalott", which the book is opened to at the end of the music video. The video echoes a scene in Anne of Green Gables in which Anne attempts to appear as the Lady of the poem. Kimberly's mother and her love interest (played by Kyle Kupecky) are shown plucking flower petals and visibly depressed that she has left them. Eventually, her canoe begins to take on water, she sits up. Once this occurs her brothers come back for her. When she gets back to her house, her mother and love interest embrace her. The video was filmed on location at Two Rivers Mansion outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout the video, the band is also shown performing with their instruments inside of the house.
Cady Groves cover[edit]
In February 2012, American pop-country singer Cady Groves uploaded a live cover of the song to SoundCloud.[53] Prophetically, Groves would die in 2020 at the age of 30 from complications caused by alcohol abuse.[54]
If I Die Young Pt. 2[edit]
Following the band's hiatus announcement, Kimberly recorded and released a follow-up titled "If I Die Young Pt. 2" as her solo debut single in May 2023.[55]