If I Die Young
Encyclopedia
"If I Die Young" is the title of a song written by Kimberly Perry and recorded by American country
group The Band Perry
. It was released as their second single in June 2010, and serves as the lead-off single to the group's self-titled debut album
, which was released on October 12, 2010.
The Band Perry received at least one letter in response to the song. In its envelope, the members also found a necklace with a ring on it. The letter's author was a young girl who had recently lost her best friend to cancer. Mourning her friend's death, the girl was contemplating suicide. Driving from work one day, she heard "If I Die Young" on the radio. Hearing "so much life in the song," the girl changed her mind. In her letter to The Band Perry, she wrote about the necklace, "I’m sending this to you, because it's the most important thing I own. This song literally saved my life."
chart for the week of May 29, 2010. It also debuted at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of July 24, 2010. In October 2010, it became the group's first Top 10 single on the country chart as well as their first Top 20 on the Hot 100. The song became their first Number One hit on the country charts for the week of December 11, 2010.
In early 2011, the song was remixed
for pop music
radio. The remix debuted at number 36 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Songs
and number 29 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for the week of June 11, 2011. With the remix impacting pop radio, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at number 46 for the week of June 25, 2011. It has since reached a new peak of number 14.
The song has sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the US alone, making it the eleventh country song to do so and only the fourth time that a band reached this plateau, following Lady Antebellum
, Zac Brown Band
and Rascal Flatts
.
In July 2011, the song reached the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100
in its thirty-fifth chart week, making it the slowest climb into the Top 15. It broke the slowest climb record that was previously held by Carrie Underwood
's "Before He Cheats
", and Taylor Swift
's "Teardrops on My Guitar
". Both songs took thirty-three weeks to reach the Top 15.
on May 27, 2010. 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. Kimberly's mother and her love interest are shown plucking flower petals and visibly depressed that she has left them. Eventually, her canoe begins to take on water. Once this occurs her brothers come back for her. When she gets back to her house, her mother and love interest embrace her. Throughout the video, the band is also shown performing with their instruments inside of the house.
|-
!Chart (2010)
!Position
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|92
|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Result
|-
| rowspan="12"| 2011
| 53rd Grammy Awards
| Best Country Song — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Academy of Country Music Awards
| Single Record of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Song of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| 2011 Billboard Music Awards
| Top Country Song — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| CMT Music Awards
| Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Group Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| USA Weekend
Breakthrough Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Teen Choice Awards
| Choice Music: Country Single — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Inspirational Country Music Awards
| Inspirational Video — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Country Music Association Awards
| Single of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Song of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Music Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
|}
|-
! Date
! Country
! Format
|-
| June 7, 2010
| rowspan="2"| United States
| Country radio
|-
| May 24, 2011
| Mainstream Top 40
|}
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...
group The Band Perry
The Band Perry
The Band Perry, an American country music group, is composed of siblings Kimberly Perry , Reid Perry and Neil Perry...
. It was released as their second single in June 2010, and serves as the lead-off single to the group's self-titled debut album
The Band Perry (album)
The Band Perry is the self-titled debut album of the American country music group The Band Perry. It was released October 12, 2010 via Universal Republic Nashville Records. The album includes five songs from the band's digital EP The Band Perry EP, which was released in April 2010...
, which was released on October 12, 2010.
Content
"If I Die Young" is a mid-tempo accompanied by acoustic guitar, banjo, accordion, mandolin, and fiddle. The song's female narrator describes being content with the life she has lived, assuring others that if she were to die at her young age, that she would have no regrets. She recognizes that once someone passes away, others seem to pay attention to life more: And when I hear the words "And maybe then you’ll hear the words I been singin' / Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'." It feels like people are finally paying attention to what you believed in. So, 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 is not scared of death, because she knows she had a good life.Critical
Bobby Peacock of Roughstock spoke positively of the lyrics which were "very well-developed with interesting little details." He felt that although the topic is "a little sugarcoated," the vocal performance is a "pleasant listening experience." Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a thumbs down, stating that while the "songwriting demonstrates a command of language and craft that allows her to construct thick, interesting lyrics," the result "is a series of exceedingly dark, loosely connected statements. The concept is murky, at best, and although many of the individual pieces are well drawn the whole is difficult to follow."The Band Perry received at least one letter in response to the song. In its envelope, the members also found a necklace with a ring on it. The letter's author was a young girl who had recently lost her best friend to cancer. Mourning her friend's death, the girl was contemplating suicide. Driving from work one day, she heard "If I Die Young" on the radio. Hearing "so much life in the song," the girl changed her mind. In her letter to The Band Perry, she wrote about the necklace, "I’m sending this to you, because it's the most important thing I own. This song literally saved my life."
Commercial
"If I Die Young" debuted at number 57 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart for the week of May 29, 2010. It also debuted at number 92 on the Billboard Hot 100 for the week of July 24, 2010. In October 2010, it became the group's first Top 10 single on the country chart as well as their first Top 20 on the Hot 100. The song became their first Number One hit on the country charts for the week of December 11, 2010.
In early 2011, the song was remixed
Remixed
Remixed may refer to:*Remixed, an EP by Le Car*Remixed *Remixed , 2001*Remixed , 2001*Remixed *Remixed , 2003*Remixed...
for pop music
Pop music
Pop music is usually understood to be commercially recorded music, often oriented toward a youth market, usually consisting of relatively short, simple songs utilizing technological innovations to produce new variations on existing themes.- Definitions :David Hatch and Stephen Millward define pop...
radio. The remix debuted at number 36 on the U.S. Billboard Pop Songs
Mainstream Top 40 (Pop Songs)
The Mainstream Top 40 is an airplay chart from Billboard magazine, and is also known as Pop Songs on billboard.com. It was often mistaken for and confused with the now discontinued Pop 100 Airplay chart...
and number 29 on the U.S. Billboard Adult Contemporary chart for the week of June 11, 2011. With the remix impacting pop radio, the song re-entered the Hot 100 at number 46 for the week of June 25, 2011. It has since reached a new peak of number 14.
The song has sold over 2,000,000 digital copies in the US alone, making it the eleventh country song to do so and only the fourth time that a band reached this plateau, following Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum
Lady Antebellum is an American country pop music group formed in Nashville, Tennessee in 2006. The trio is composed of Charles Kelley , Dave Haywood and Hillary Scott .The group made its debut in 2007 as guest vocalists on Jim Brickman's single "Never Alone", before signing to Capitol...
, Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band
Zac Brown Band is an American country music, southern rock, and folk band based in Atlanta, Georgia. The lineup consists of Zac Brown , Jimmy De Martini , John Driskell Hopkins , Coy Bowles , Chris Fryar and Clay Cook...
and Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts
Rascal Flatts is an American country music band that originated in Columbus, Ohio, United States of America. Since its inception, Rascal Flatts has been composed of three members: Gary LeVox , Jay DeMarcus and Joe Don Rooney...
.
In July 2011, the song reached the Top 15 of the Billboard Hot 100
Billboard Hot 100
The Billboard Hot 100 is the United States music industry standard singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine. Chart rankings are based on radio play and sales; the tracking-week for sales begins on Monday and ends on Sunday, while the radio play tracking-week runs from Wednesday...
in its thirty-fifth chart week, making it the slowest climb into the Top 15. It broke the slowest climb record that was previously held by Carrie Underwood
Carrie Underwood
Carrie Marie Underwood is an American country singer-songwriter and actress who rose to fame as the winner of the fourth season of American Idol, in 2005...
's "Before He Cheats
Before He Cheats
"Before He Cheats" is a song written by Chris Tompkins and Josh Kear and the third wide-release single from Carrie Underwood's debut album, Some Hearts. It was the fifth release from the album overall. It was named the 2007 Single of the Year by the Country Music Association...
", and Taylor Swift
Taylor Swift
Taylor Alison Swift is an American country pop singer-songwriter, musician and actress.In 2006, she released her debut single "Tim McGraw", then her self-titled debut album, which was subsequently certified multi-platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America...
's "Teardrops on My Guitar
Teardrops on My Guitar
"Teardrops on My Guitar" is a song by American country pop singer-songwriter Taylor Swift. The song was co-written by Swift, alongside Liz Rose and produced by Nathan Chapman with Swift's aid. "Teardrops on My Guitar" was released on February 24, 2007 by Big Machine Records, as the second single...
". Both songs took thirty-three weeks to reach the Top 15.
Music video
The music video, which was directed by David McClister, premiered on CMTCountry Music Television
Country Music Television, or CMT, is an American country music-oriented cable television network. Programming includes music videos, taped concerts, movies, biographies of country music stars, game shows, and reality programs...
on May 27, 2010. 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
Tennyson
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, the first Baron Tennyson, was an English poet.Tennyson may also refer to:-People:* Baron Tennyson, the barony itself** Alfred, Lord Tennyson , poet...
, including The Lady of Shalott
The Lady of Shalott
"The Lady of Shalott" is a Victorian ballad by the English poet Alfred, Lord Tennyson . Like his other early poems – "Sir Lancelot and Queen Guinevere" and "Galahad" – the poem recasts Arthurian subject matter loosely based on medieval sources.-Overview:Tennyson wrote two versions of the poem, one...
, which the book is opened to at the end of the music video. Kimberly's mother and her love interest are shown plucking flower petals and visibly depressed that she has left them. Eventually, her canoe begins to take on water. Once this occurs her brothers come back for her. When she gets back to her house, her mother and love interest embrace her. Throughout the video, the band is also shown performing with their instruments inside of the house.
Charts
| Chart (2010–2011) | Peak position |
|---|
Certifications
| Region | Provider | Certification |
|---|---|---|
| Canada | Music Canada Music Canada Music Canada was a Canadian music television miniseries which aired approximately monthly on CBC Television from 1966 to 1967.-Premise:This series featured various special productions of music and dance, from classical to modern styles.-Scheduling:... |
Platinum |
| United States | RIAA Recording Industry Association of America The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States... |
3× Platinum |
Year-end charts
{|class="wikitable sortable"|-
!Chart (2010)
!Position
|-
|US Billboard Hot 100
| style="text-align:center;"|92
Awards and nominations
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Year
! Association
! Category
! Result
|-
| rowspan="12"| 2011
| 53rd Grammy Awards
53rd Grammy Awards
The 53rd annual Grammy Awards were held on February 13, 2011, at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. They were broadcast on CBS with a rating of 26.6 million viewers. Barbra Streisand was honored as the MusiCares Person of the Year two nights prior to the telecast on February 11. Nominations were...
| Best Country Song — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="2"| Academy of Country Music Awards
| Single Record of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Song of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| 2011 Billboard Music Awards
2011 Billboard Music Awards
The 2011 Billboard Music Awards were held May 22, 2011 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada and hosted by Ken Jeong. The awards recognized the most popular artists and albums from 2010....
| Top Country Song — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| CMT Music Awards
CMT Music Awards
The CMT Music Awards is a fan-voted awards show for country music videos and television performances. The awards ceremony is held every year in Nashville, Tennessee, and broadcast live on CMT. Voting takes place on CMT's website, CMT.com.-History:...
| Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Group Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| USA Weekend
USA Weekend
USA Weekend is a national publication distributed through more than 800+ newspapers in the United States. It reaches 47 million readers in 22.6 million households every weekend. Awarded for its journalism and design, USA WEEKEND focuses on social issues, entertainment, health, food and travel....
Breakthrough Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Teen Choice Awards
Teen Choice Awards
The Teen Choice Awards, are an annual awards show that air on the Fox cable channel, that honor the year's biggest biggest achievements in music, movies, sports, television, fashion and more, voted by teen viewers aged 14 through 17. Winners receive an authentic full size surfboard designed with...
| Choice Music: Country Single — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Inspirational Country Music Awards
| Inspirational Video — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| rowspan="3"| Country Music Association Awards
Country Music Association Awards
The Country Music Association Awards, also known as the CMA Awards, or the CMAs, and not to be confused with the ACM Awards, are voted on by business members of the Country Music Association. The first CMA awards were presented at an untelevised ceremony in Nashville's Municipal Auditorium in 1967...
| Single of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Song of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
| Music Video of the Year — "If I Die Young"
|
|-
|}
Release history
{| class="wikitable"|-
! Date
! Country
! Format
|-
| June 7, 2010
| rowspan="2"| United States
| Country radio
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...
|-
| May 24, 2011
| Mainstream Top 40
|}