Nothin' to Die For
Encyclopedia
"Nothin' to Die For" is the title of a country music
song written by Lee Thomas Miller
and Craig Wiseman
. It was recorded by Tim McGraw
on his 2007 album Let It Go
, and released in January 2009 as the album's seventh single. It is McGraw's fifty-first chart entry on the Billboard
country charts. It peaked at #5 in the United States, and #3 in Canada in April 2009.
and synthesizer strings. In it, the narrator tries to convince a friend not to drink alcohol and not dare drive. In the first verse, he expresses the danger of drunk driving, and in the chorus, he tells the friend that although he can put his life at risk for his family and friends, that he should not risk his life with alcohol.
In the second verse, it is revealed that the friend is drinking heavily because of his workaholic
nature ("The money you make ain't worth the time you spend to make your pay").
", also saying that the lyrics were overly simplified and "discuss[ed] alcoholism in the most easily consumable, unobjectionable fashion possible." Blake Boldt of Country Universe gave the song a B- rating. He considered the song well-sung and "carefully constructed", but criticized it for not "reach[ing] the real heart of this sad tale."
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...
song written by Lee Thomas Miller
Lee Thomas Miller
Lee Thomas Miller is an American country music songwriter and occasional record producer. His credits include the Number One country hits "The World" and "I'm Still a Guy" for Brad Paisley and "You're Gonna Miss This" for Trace Adkins, as well as Top Ten hits for Terri Clark, Joe Nichols, and...
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....
. It was recorded by 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...
on his 2007 album Let It Go
Let It Go (Tim McGraw album)
Let It Go is the eleventh album by Tim McGraw. Released on March 27, 2007, it was his first studio album in two and a half years. Let It Go entered the U.S. Billboard 200 at number one with sales of 325,000...
, and released in January 2009 as the album's seventh single. It is McGraw's fifty-first chart entry on the 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 charts. It peaked at #5 in the United States, and #3 in Canada in April 2009.
Content
"Nothin' to Die For" is a mid-tempo song accompanied by electric guitarElectric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
and synthesizer strings. In it, the narrator tries to convince a friend not to drink alcohol and not dare drive. In the first verse, he expresses the danger of drunk driving, and in the chorus, he tells the friend that although he can put his life at risk for his family and friends, that he should not risk his life with alcohol.
In the second verse, it is revealed that the friend is drinking heavily because of his workaholic
Workaholic
A workaholic is a person who is addicted to work.The term generally implies that the person enjoys their work; it can also imply that they simply feel compelled to do it...
nature ("The money you make ain't worth the time you spend to make your pay").
Reception
Jim Malec of The 9513 gave the song a "thumbs down" rating. His review mainly criticizes the lyric, calling it a "four minute-long public service announcementPublic service announcement
A public service announcement or public service ad is a type of advertisement featured on television, radio, print or other media...
", also saying that the lyrics were overly simplified and "discuss[ed] alcoholism in the most easily consumable, unobjectionable fashion possible." Blake Boldt of Country Universe gave the song a B- rating. He considered the song well-sung and "carefully constructed", but criticized it for not "reach[ing] the real heart of this sad tale."
Chart positions
| Chart (2009) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Songs | 5 |
| U.S. Billboard Hot 100 | 68 |
| Canadian Hot 100 | 78 |