4 Tim McGraw Lyrics That Still Stop Us in Our Tracks

A natural performer, Tim McGraw has always known how to deliver the stories in his songs. Here are some of his lyrics that still hit hard.

“Live Like You Were Dying”

“And he said, ‘Someday I hope you get the chance / To live like you were dying.’”

“Live Like You Were Dying”, which was written by Tim Nichols and Craig Wiseman, sings about a man in his forties who has a life-altering realization. The song takes a look at his life during and after he struggles with an illness that changes his perspective on living.

“Don’t Take The Girl”

“I’ll gladly take her place if you’ll let me / Make this my last request / Take me out of this world / God, please, don’t take the girl.”

This one is country storytelling at its finest. “Don’t Take The Girl” tells a story in three phases. First, McGraw sings about a little boy who wants to go fishing with his dad. As the story goes, he begs him not to bring a certain little girl along. Then, fast forward, and that boy is dating that girl. Wait a few more years, and suddenly that girl is his dying wife. He begs God not to take her away.

“Where The Green Grass Grows”

“Raise our kids where the good Lord’s blessed / Point our rockin’ chairs towards the West / And plant our dreams where the peaceful river flows / Where the green grass grows.”

This song is all about chasing a life of simplicity, and how there’s beauty in things that aren’t flashy or attention-seeking. McGraw sings a clever spin on “the grass is greener on the other side” in this tune. It makes you think, perhaps the grass is greenest right where you are.

“Shotgun Rider”

“I don’t ever wanna wake up / Looking into someone else’s eyes / Another voice calling me ‘baby’ / On the other end of the phone.”

“Shotgun Rider” is a true country love song. Written by Marv Green, Hillary Lindsey, and Troy Verges, it tells the story of a man who wants to commit to one woman only.

Photo by: Brett Coomer/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images