Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You - wikipedia Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You `` Trying to Live My Life Without You '' Single by Otis Clay from the album Trying to Live My Life Without You B - side `` Let Me Be the One '' Released December 1972 Genre R&B Length 2 : 50 Label Hi Songwriter ( s ) Eugene Williams `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' Single by Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band from the album Nine Tonight B - side `` Brave Strangers ( Live ) '' Released September 1981 Recorded October 6, 1980 Genre Rock Length 4 : 04 Label Capitol Songwriter ( s ) Eugene Williams Producer ( s ) Punch Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band singles chronology `` Her Strut '' ( 1981 ) `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' ( 1981 ) `` Feel Like a Number '' ( 1981 ) `` Her Strut '' ( 1981 ) `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' ( 1981 ) `` Feel Like a Number '' ( 1981 ) `` Trying to Live My Life Without You '' or `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' is a song written by Eugene Williams, originally popularized by soul singer Otis Clay. In early 1973 it reached # 102 on the Billboard Bubbling Under chart. It has since been covered by several other artists, most notably Bob Seger on his 1981 Nine Tonight album, and Brinsley Schwarz. On February 17, 1973, Clay performed the song on Soul Train. Contents 1 Writing 2 Chart performance 3 Bob Seger version 4 Chart performance 4.1 Weekly charts 4.2 Year - end charts 5 References 6 External links Writing The song is sung from the point of view of a man who is addressing his former lover. During the song 's verses, the narrator tells of various habits he has had over his lifetime, such as smoking `` five packs of cigarettes a day '' and drinking `` four or five bottles of wine. '' In the prechorus, he states that breaking those former habits was difficult, but not nearly as difficult as getting over the girl and forgetting the love they shared. Chart performance Weekly charts ( 1973 ) Peak position U.S. Billboard 102 U.S. Hot R&B / Hip - Hop Songs 24 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 70 Bob Seger version Bob Seger 's cover of the song is the most successful version of the song, reaching number five on the pop singles charts. It is known for Seger 's spoken prelude on top of the bassline : `` Alright, you guys feel funky tonight ?... This is an old Memphis song, old Memphis song... '' The Nine Tonight liner notes claim that Seger 's saxophone player, Alto Reed, played all the saxophones heard on that song, at the same time. Most likely this is possible from studio overdubbing on top of the live performance. Chart performance Weekly charts Chart ( 1981 - 82 ) Peak position Canadian RPM 11 U.S. Billboard Hot 100 5 U.S. Cash Box Top 100 8 U.S. Billboard Top Tracks Year - end charts Chart ( 1981 ) Rank Canada 66 U.S. ( Joel Whitburn 's Pop Annual ) 49 U.S. Cash Box 81 References Jump up ^ `` Watch Soul Train Season 2 Episode 20 Online ''. SideReel.com. 1973 - 02 - 17. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 07. Jump up ^ `` Cash Box Top 100 1 / 20 / 73 ''. Web.archive.org. 11 December 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2017. Jump up ^ Joel Whitburn 's Top Pop Singles 1955 - 1990 - ISBN 0 - 89820 - 089 - X Jump up ^ `` Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada ''. Collectionscanada.gc.ca. Retrieved 2016 - 10 - 07. Jump up ^ Whitburn, Joel ( 1999 ). Pop Annual. Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin : Record Research Inc. p. 434. ISBN 0 - 89820 - 142 - X. Jump up ^ `` Cash Box YE Pop Singles - 1981 ''. Web.archive.org. 11 November 2014. Retrieved 11 August 2017. External links Song Lyrics Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band Bob Seger Craig Frost Chris Campbell Alto Reed Drew Abbott Charlie Allen Martin Dave Teegarden Rick Manasa Robyn Robbins Dawayne Bailey The Bob Seger System albums Ramblin ' Gamblin ' Man ( 1969 ) Noah ( 1969 ) Mongrel ( 1970 ) Bob Seger solo albums Brand New Morning ( 1971 ) Smokin ' O.P. 's ( 1972 ) Back in ' 72 ( 1973 ) Seven ( 1974 ) Beautiful Loser ( 1975 ) Face the Promise ( 2006 ) Ride Out ( 2014 ) I Knew You When ( 2017 ) Bob Seger & the Silver Bullet Band albums Night Moves ( 1976 ) Stranger in Town ( 1978 ) Against the Wind ( 1980 ) The Distance ( 1982 ) Like a Rock ( 1986 ) The Fire Inside ( 1991 ) It 's a Mystery ( 1995 ) Live albums Live Bullet ( 1976 ) Nine Tonight ( 1981 ) Compilations The Bob Seger Collection ( 1979 ) Greatest Hits ( 1994 ) Greatest Hits 2 ( 2003 ) Early Seger Vol. 1 ( 2009 ) Ultimate Hits : Rock and Roll Never Forgets ( 2011 ) Singles `` The Lonely One '' ( 1961 ) `` TGIF '' ( 1965 ) `` Ballad of the Yellow Beret '' ( 1966 ) `` East Side Story '' ( 1966 ) `` Sock It to Me Santa '' ( 1966 ) `` Persecution Smith '' ( 1966 ) `` Vagrant Winter '' ( 1967 ) `` Heavy Music '' ( 1967 ) `` 2 + 2 = ? '' ( 1968 ) `` Ramblin ' Gamblin ' Man '' ( 1969 ) `` Ivory '' ( 1969 ) `` Noah '' ( 1969 ) `` Innervenus Eyes '' ( 1969 ) `` Lucifer '' ( 1970 ) `` Lookin ' Back '' ( 1971 ) `` If I Were a Carpenter '' ( 1972 ) `` Who Do You Love '' ( 1972 ) `` Midnight Rider '' ( 1973 ) `` Turn the Page '' ( 1973 ) `` Back in ' 72 '' / `` Rosalie '' ( 1973 ) Need Ya / Seen Alot of Floors ( 1973 ) `` UMC ( Upper Middle Class ) '' ( 1974 ) `` Get Out of Denver '' ( 1974 ) `` Beautiful Loser '' ( 1975 ) `` Katmandu '' ( 1975 ) `` Nutbush City Limits '' ( live ) ( 1976 ) `` Travelin ' Man '' ( 1976 ) `` Night Moves '' ( 1976 ) `` Mainstreet '' ( 1976 ) `` Rock and Roll Never Forgets '' ( 1976 ) `` The Fire Down Below '' ( 1977 ) `` Sunspot Baby '' ( 1977 ) `` Hollywood Nights '' ( 1978 ) `` We 've Got Tonite '' ( 1978 ) `` Still the Same '' ( 1978 ) `` Old Time Rock and Roll '' ( 1979 ) `` Fire Lake '' ( 1980 ) `` Against the Wind '' ( 1980 ) `` You 'll Accomp'ny Me '' ( 1980 ) `` The Horizontal Bop '' ( 1980 ) `` Her Strut '' ( 1980 ) `` Tryin ' to Live My Life Without You '' ( 1981 ) `` Feel Like a Number '' ( live ) ( 1981 ) `` Hollywood Nights '' ( live ) ( 1981 ) `` We 've Got Tonite '' ( live ) ( 1982 ) `` Shame on the Moon '' ( 1982 ) `` Even Now '' ( 1983 ) `` Roll Me Away '' ( 1983 ) `` Understanding '' ( 1984 ) `` American Storm '' / `` Fortunate Son '' ( 1986 ) `` Like a Rock '' ( 1986 ) `` It 's You '' ( 1986 ) `` Miami '' ( 1986 ) `` Shakedown '' ( 1987 ) `` Blue Monday '' ( 1989 ) `` Take a Chance '' ( 1991 ) `` The Real Love '' ( 1991 ) `` The Fire Inside '' ( radio edit ) ( 1991 ) `` In Your Time '' ( 1994 ) `` C'est La Vie '' / `` Night Moves '' ( 1994 ) `` Lock and Load '' ( rock mix ) ( 1995 ) `` Manhattan '' ( 1995 ) `` Hands in the Air '' ( 1996 ) `` Chances Are '' ( with Martina McBride ) ( 1998 ) `` Landing in London '' ( with 3 Doors Down ) ( 2005 ) `` Wait for Me '' ( 2006 ) `` Wreck This Heart '' ( 2006 ) `` Downtown Train '' ( 2011 ) `` Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey ( Going Back to Birmingham ) '' ( 2011 ) `` Detroit Made '' ( 2014 ) `` You Take Me In '' ( 2014 ) `` Glenn Song '' ( 2017 ) `` Busload of Faith '' ( 2017 ) Related articles Discography Gibson / Miller Band Book : Bob Seger Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Tryin%27_to_Live_My_Life_Without_You&oldid=795079736 '' Categories : 1972 singles Otis Clay songs Hi Records singles 1981 singles Bob Seger songs Capitol Records singles 1972 songs Hidden categories : Articles with hAudio microformats Talk Contents About Wikipedia Add links This page was last edited on 11 August 2017, at 21 : 35. 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Question: who sang trying to live my life without you
Answer: Otis Clay