I was a little boy of 9 years old   The whole world in my hands   Trying to toss that ball across the yard   A game of catch with my old man      He would always say I’m sorry   Every time he had to leave   And I was much too young to understand   When he would say to me      When you're young you always think   The sun is going to shine   There will come a day   When you have to say hello to goodbye   Sit down son come take my hand,   Look me in the eye   Take these words, promise me   You'll live before you die      I was barely seventeen summer of seventy-nine   Already I was feeling like I was running out of time   I had this girl we fell in love   Or should I say that she had me   Then one fateful night changed our lives   And made a memory      When you're young you always think   The sun is going to shine   There will come a day   When you have to say hello to goodbye   She laid me down she took my hand   And looked me in the eye   And just before she kissed me she said   You got to live before we die, live before you die      You learn to love to live   You fight and you forgive   You learn what's wrong and right   You live before you die      I made mistakes I caught some breaks   But I got not regrets   There's some things I don't remember   But one thing I don't forget      When you're young you always think   The sun is going to shine   One day you're going to have to say hello to goodbye   Shout it out let someone somewhere   Know that you're alive   Take these words wear them well   Live before you die   Live before you die   Hey!   Live before you die      You learn to love to live   You fight and you forgive   You face the darkest night   Just live before you die