If I Die Young

* Single
* Alternate
* Album

"**If I Die Young**" is a song by American band The Band Perry. It is the third track on their self-titled debut studio album, *The Band Perry*, and was released on June 8, 2010, through Republic Nashville.

## Critical reception

Bobby Peacock of *Roughstock* spoke positively of the lyrics, saying that they were "very well-developed with interesting little details." He felt that, although the topic is "a little sugarcoated", the vocal performance is a "pleasant listening experience".

## Videos

The Band Perry - If I Die Young (Official Video)The Band Perry - If I Die Young (Pop Version)
### Live performances

The Band Perry - If I Die Young (Live From Oceanway Studios, Nashville 2010)The Band Perry - If I Die Young (AOL Sessions)The Band Perry - If I Die Young (Live On Letterman)
## Music video

The music video, which was directed by David McClister, premiered on CMT on May 27, 2010. In the video, the band is shown setting Kimberly Perry in a canoe before pushing it off into the river. Perry is holding a book containing poems by Tennyson, including The Lady of Shalott, which the book is opened to at the end of the music video. The video echoes a scene in *Anne of Green Gables* in which Anne attempts to appear as the Lady of the poem. Kimberly's mother and her love interest (played by Kyle Kupecky) are shown plucking flower petals and visibly depressed that she has left them. Eventually, her canoe begins to take on water, she sits up. Once this occurs her brothers come back for her. When she gets back to her house, her mother and love interest embrace her. The video was filmed on location at Two Rivers Mansion outside of Nashville, Tennessee. Throughout the video, the band is also shown performing with their instruments inside of the house.

## Lyrics

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Uh-oh (Uh-oh)

Lord, make me a rainbow, I'll shine down on my mother

She'll know I'm safe with you when she stands under my colors

Oh, and life ain't always what you think it ought to be, no

Ain't even gray, but she buries her baby

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom

I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger

I've never known the lovin' of a man

But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand

There's a boy here in town, say's he'll love me forever

Who could have ever thought forever could be severed by

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls

What I never did is done

A penny for my thoughts, oh no, I'll sell 'em for a dollar

They're worth so much more after I'm a goner

And maybe then you'll hear the words I've been singin'

Funny when you're dead, how people start listenin'

If I die young, bury me in satin

Lay me down on a bed of roses

Sink me in the river at dawn

Send me away with the words of a love song

Uh-oh (Uh-oh)

The ballad of a dove

Go with peace and love

Gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket

Save 'em for a time when you're really gonna need 'em, oh

The sharp knife of a short life

Well, I've had just enough time

So put on your best, boys, and I'll wear my pearls

## Charts

### Year-end charts

 US Country Songs (*Billboard*)

 US Adult Contemporary (*Billboard*)
 US Adult Pop Songs (*Billboard*)
 US Country Songs (*Billboard*)
 US Pop Songs (*Billboard*)

## Certifications

 United Kingdom (BPI)
⇞ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

## Release history

 May 24, 2011
 February 24, 2012

## Trivia

* "If I Die Young" is the only known The Band Perry song to have been written soley by Kimberly.
* In 2013, Naya Rivera performed the song as her character Santana Lopez in tribute episode "The Quarterback", during the fifth season of the Fox comedy-drama series *Glee*, in honor of co-star and friend Cory Monteith, who had died on July 13, 2013.

## References

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The\_Band\_Perry\_(album)
2. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If\_I\_Die\_Young
3. https://tunebat.com/Info/If-I-Die-Young-The-Band-Perry/4u26EevCNXMhlvE1xFBJwX