"The Secret of Life" is the title of a song written and recorded by American country music

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...

 artist Gretchen Peters

Gretchen Peters

Gretchen Peters is a singer-songwriter in the folk/country genre. She was born in New York and raised in Boulder, Colorado, but moved to Nashville in the late 1980s...

. It was then recorded by Faith Hill

Faith Hill

Faith Hill is an American country singer. She is known both for her commercial success and her marriage to fellow country star Tim McGraw. Hill has sold more than 40 million records worldwide and accumulated eight number-one singles and three number-one albums on the U.S...

 and released in April 1999 as the fifth single from her album Faith

Faith (Faith Hill album)

International version – Love Will Always Win-Production:*Producers: Faith Hill and Byron Gallimore , Faith Hill and Dann Huff *Associate producer: Ann Callis*Engineers: Jeff Balding, Julian King...

. It peaked at number 4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart and at number 2 on the Canadian RPM Country Tracks chart. It also peaked at number 46 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Content

The song tells of two men at a bar, having a discussion with the bartender. All three of them offer various opinions on what they think the secret of life is, before the bartender finally states that "The secret of life is there ain't no secret / And you don't get your money back".

Music video

The night before the video was to be shot, the original location for the bar that the directors scouted out had a fire and burned. The Palace Saloon in Fernandina Beach, FL (located on Amelia Island) suffered extensive damage to the interior only. The video opens with a street shot showing the exterior of The Palace with a banner reading "The Starlight Bar & Lounge" covering The Palace sign. The exterior is used in several shots including Hill standing at the entrace with the doors closed. The interior of the saloon was rebuilt and remains open to this day and is billed as "Florida's oldest continuously operating bar". The video showcases Hill as an observer to the bar conversation referenced in the lyrics. Scenes of small town life are interspersed. Throughout the video, various characters hold up photographs that seem to come to life.

Chart positions

"The Secret of Life" debuted at number 75 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks for the week of May 8, 1999.

Chart (1999)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks	4
U.S. Billboard Hot 100	46
Canadian RPM Country Tracks	2