U

+ 10

Unregistered 2012-06-27 02:52:07

It's a story (most likely fictional) about a young girl who had died. Because she was so young, she didn't get to live a full life and it makes it more upsetting, which brings the line "the sharp knife of short life" and the line "gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket. Save them for a time when you're really gonna need them" means don't cry for me. And obviously it's religious so when she says "save them for a time when you're really gonna need them" she's means save them for when you see me again in heaven. And how she's always gonna watch over them until that time comes. And she also is basically writing out her will, telling her family how she wants her body handled when the bury her.

b

+ 9

b33z75 2010-09-08 21:30:14

My sister and her only child, my niece died on the 4th of July in a car accident & we heard this song & had it played during the funeral. It was somber but so much like them. They were fun, crazy and spontaneous and it was the perfect song for them. Every time I hear it I just let my tears wash away the pain and my soul heals a little more knowing that they entered the pearly gates together-hand in hand. They were that close and never would have wanted to be separated. Ever.

U

+ 8

Unregistered 2012-06-15 23:13:57

I think people take the "sharp knife of a short life" line too literally. That does not mean it is about a suicide. It's a metaphor of dying young. Its very sudden and painful for the family. If someone dies older, at least they've had a full life. If a young person dies, its so sad because you never get to see them get married, have kids, chase their dreams, etc.

s

+ 7

soontobemommy4-2011 2010-10-12 05:39:42

I'm a soon to be mother and my older sister just had a baby boy and everytime this song comes on I sing it to my baby and my sisters that lil boy love this song so much its the only thing that makes him stop cryin and I just love this song I have lost alot of people in my life that died young and I think about them eveytime this song is on. Its so different from the songs these day. Its my favorite song of all time.

r

+ 5

roshellagetano 2011-10-26 05:11:55

The first time I heard this song I hated it because it hit so close to home for me. A friend of mine passed away last summer and the words were just haunting. But now I've grown to really like the song, and I really don't think it's a negative song at all. I think it basically says, I've done all I've wanted/needed to do and if it's my time to go, don't feel bad for me because I have no regrets. It's so beautiful.

j

+ 5

jamiepooh6999 2010-10-10 02:31:17

This song really has touched my heart because I gave birth to my son on oct 3 2010 and he passed away. This is the hardest thing that I have ever been through in my life. When I heard this song all I could do is cry because it really hit home. Now this is song is the only thing that I want to hear. When I played this song for my husband and children there was not a dry eye in my house so this sure is one song that we will always remember him by.

U

+ 4

Unregistered 2016-01-05 00:38:36

Unlike many people who hear this song and think that's it's about a girl who died, I believe that it's about a young girl thinking about what happened if she were to die. She's thinking about what she wants to happen to her body, and she wants her family and friends to know that she's in heaven and that she's safe with God ("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.") I feel like this girl is worried about how she's never really got to experience a full life ("I've never known the lovin' of a man"). She also seems to feel like people will care more about her life after she's dead. The line "the sharp knife of a short life" is the part that seems to be the most confusing line in the song, but probably one of my favorite lyrics from this song because it's a metaphor, and it really is a poetic metaphor. It's about how horrible it is for a family when somebody doesn't really get to live a long life because they would never be able to see that person grow up, and they'd never see what kind of person they would've become.

U

+ 4

Unregistered 2014-11-01 23:38:02

The first time I heard this song I cried so hard because it was played at my friend's funeral, who died in an accident a day after Christmas. She was only sixteen, but God is in control and knew exactly when to take her, even if to me it seemed way too soon. I thank the Lord for every moment I had with her, my only regret is that I didn't get to say good-bye. I miss you Jessie, I'll never forget you.

U

+ 4

Unregistered 2012-06-15 23:13:11

I think people take the "sharp knife of a short life" line too literally. That dies not mean it is about a suicide. It's a metaphor of dying young. Its very sudden and painful for the family. If someone dies older, at least they've had a full life. If a young person dies, its so bad because you never get to see them get married, have kids, chase their dreams, etc.

U

+ 4

Unregistered 2012-05-22 16:40:21

This song speaks of her wishes if she'll die young. I think she's sick or something. She says that even if she dies young she had just enough time, maybe to show how much people meant to her and the man she loves, they didn't even got the chance to be together coz she died early.
The line "funny when you're dead how people start listenin" is very true. I think the message of the song is for the whole world to know what really matters in life and make the best of every moment because you never know when your time is up.
By unregistered on apr 18th 2012 7: 00 pm the meaning of if I die young, in my opinion, is that someone committed suicide. It's saying how relieving it was for them to kill themselves with the knife, but so painful to their loved ones.
By unregistered on apr 18th 2012 11: 15 am well it means a very special meaning that you can't even explain it. But this is the best song in the whole entire world.

U

+ 3

Unregistered 2012-01-16 01:56:27

I think this song is about a girl and her doctor says she is going to die soon because she has some sort of disease. Then her doctor tells her that she made some kind of recovery or something, and she will not die. But, she is trying to tell her mother and boyfriend and friends. They are not listening so, she pretend to die to see what will happen. Then everybody realizes what she was telling them, and the brothers go get her. Then everybody see's what she was trying to do.

U

+ 3

Unregistered 2011-12-20 22:10:14

This song is important to me because it inspires me to hang on, even when all I wanna do is let go.
It makes me think about what should happen if I died. It makes me feel as though there is someone in the world who gives a darn about me and whenever I need a strong pick me up, I turn to this song.
It inspires me. This song, no matter how strange it sounds, haas helped me through sooo many hard times, and to the band perry or whoever wrote this, I owe my grattitude.
-anonymous.

U

+ 3

Unregistered 2011-10-10 06:05:50

Love is divine but the girl who is to die in this song misses the love she is to gain from her loving man. She never wants to give her mother any tear because of her. So she prays the God to make her a rainbow to shine over her mother. She talks to listeners: She says that listeners may feel this as another ordinary song and would ignore but if she really "dies young" she says that then they'll be triggered to understand the reality.

U

+ 3

Unregistered 2011-09-30 15:01:07

Shes tellin y'all to pay attention in life to the ones that matter the most to you and hopefully through your actions others will follow - its a wakeup call to this world on how we live but don't feel, see, experience, touch or care about others around us including family. She speaks of her young life and the few experiences that she had and how they made her feel and yes how she would like to be peacefully placed and especially how she will know how her mother will be feeling and that she will be watching over her. Todays world is very selfish and it's very sad--wake up people and look at the way people lived 20, 40, 60+ yrs ago. See how they lived and spent time and really appreciated life and all it has to offer and especially family and friends. History is as important as progress but unfortunately our progress has separted us from everything (computers, cell phones, auto bill pay, chatrooms, email, etc) people don't sit and get to know anymore or say hi to the mailman or shoot people I could go on with this history lesson but ill stop. Take the hint---Life can be short, you might want to make the most of it with the ones you love. Big hugsss.

U

+ 3

Unregistered 2011-09-20 02:41:21

You finally have the best thing in your life, then you die the next day, really sad, tomorrow is never promised, much less next week, month, and even year, so you have to make sure you give love to all the people who are close, even a person you don't know, sort out all your problems, make sure you forgive everyone, because no one said that your next breath is promised.

a

+ 3

Angelwing 2011-04-26 23:49:08

I lost my niece Carly on New Years Eve this year. It has been a very tramatic time for her parents and 3 sisters. They where a very close family. Carly was 25 and just starting her life. She was the one in the family that held it together when the timesw where tough and the girl that could give the one liners that kept everyone laughing. Carly is that Angel that will see our family throught the tough time. This was the song that was played for her at her funeral and everyone received the meaning of (It I Die Young). Carly will always be with me and my family through this song. Carly was only 25.

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2012-05-11 18:40:40

It is such a good song and it is so sad but it is just like about a kid or someone grown anyways moving on it means they die or get killed or something and it is about how people only start listening when your dead so yeah no one would listen and it's just really sad. I am crying right now and I am listening to it while I'm typeing this it just ended.
:((

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2012-05-08 07:35:39

This song speaks of her wishes if she'll die young. I think she's sick or something. She says that even if she dies young she had just enough time, maybe to show how much people meant to her and the man she loves, they didn't even got the chance to be together coz she died early.
The line "funny when you're dead how people start listenin" is very true. I think the message of the song is for the whole world to know what really matters in life and make the best of every moment because you never know when your time is up.

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2012-03-31 02:08:18

It means a death to me. Most people say it is from a depressed person who wants to die. To me it means so much more. I know b/c someone I love is dying slowly at a young age. It mean she want you to know that if she dies young, why not spend the time in a good way. And how short life can be. ~mysterious M. D.

U

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Unregistered 2012-03-14 05:28:17

I think it means that she wants people to remember that she died happy. She did what she could in her life to make it a happy one and that she doesn't want anyone to be sad wit hher passing because she's in a better place. That people are usually only truly remembered for things that they have said or thought only after they're dead and she wants everyone to remember that while she was living she made the most of her life.

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2012-01-23 18:56:17

Last saturday we as a community here in ozark, arkansas, buried the sweetest 16 year-old girl you could ever want to meet. She was a friend and basketball teammate of my youngest daughter, and I would have been proud to be her dad. She died in absolutely the most tragic senseless manner. I heard this song played at her funeral but couldn't understand it with the acoustics of the gym where hundreds of people came to say goodbye for now. I cried as I read the words, and I am a 57 year old father of 5 daughters. This song is so her.

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2012-01-12 01:47:40

Its just saying that you can die just like that, randomly. Make the most of your life. My little sister commit suicide and she was a freshman in high school. I never actually understood life until she was gone. I never thought she faced problems too big for her. When she came home from school complaining about drama I thought it was just the normal middle school drama. She always told me that I didn't pay enough attention to her, and that I cared more about my boyfriend than her. Looking back, I regret every moment I spent with him instead of her. I would do anything to get her back.

U

+ 2

Unregistered 2011-12-13 15:13:27

This goes out to my husband who is far. The youth of my heart has die for the time has past us bye. I was left in a bed of roses waiting with my pearls on waiting not to die but to start living, where you at if you promises me time would slow down for me. Life with time as sharp as knives loving my husband but ran out of time. Love you christopher are. 9/23/84 A. C-rod.

U

+ 1

Unregistered 2012-05-13 00:28:25

I think that the story behind this song, (probably fictional) is that a girl died young, but lived her life to the fullest. At the end, when it say, "gather up your tears, keep 'em in your pocket. Save 'em for a time when your really gonna need 'em. ", it means not to cry for her, because she had a very full life. She says to save them, for some other time, when maybe someone didn't.

U

+ 1

Unregistered 2012-05-12 19:12:44

If I die young. It's a song that made me feel better. It new to me.
Coz I heard this song recently. That I started loving it. And i'll forever. Na. Our unspected life goes on withoud any preparations that take us to a unknown destiny. Where we struck some time knowing nothing to do. We don't know what is our day tomarrow. What is gonna happen. As we say obstacles doesn't come with music bandsz. So my dear friends life is unespected live it goodly. Happily. Friendly.
~thanks~.

U

+ 1

Unregistered 2012-04-03 16:16:39

An amazing song that gets stuck in my head every single time I hear it.
To me it is about a girl who knows she is going to die soon (at a young age), and she is just trying to keep positive.
I think that to her, death is almost a prize for all her previous suffering that she has had to endure throughout her lifetime, as short as it is.
After you die, there are still some positives, like people will listen to you.
And your family doesn't need to worry, because you will be perfectly safe.
An amazing song which for some reason has such a sentimental value to me.

U

+ 1

Unregistered 2012-03-11 22:42:52

This is not an, "if you don't like it don't listen comment! " this is just to make you think.
It sounds like she wants to die. She sounds very happy in explaining how she wants to be buried. At first it sounds kind of nice then "the sharp knife of a short life, well i've had just enough time. " the imagery seems that this is more than a statement but a thought or a wish. I've had enough time so I may as well go. This is puncutuated by "they're [thoughts] worth so much more after i'm a goner. " this indicates that death brings some sort of glory. People love this song, but I think it sends a very poor message to a generation of teens that is cutting and 'emo'.

U

+ 1

Unregistered 2011-12-17 12:39:34

This song is really deep, puts a lot of meaning into such simple words. But what I mostly can relate to - as I am young - is that the writer has lots to do but little time. She hasn't felt the loving of a man, she wants people to listen to her words. All young teens must feel that way too. The lyrics that still clings in my mind all the time would be "a penny for my thoughts, oh no, i'll sell 'em for a dollar, they'll worth so much more after I'm a goner and maybe then you hear the words I've been singing, funny when you're dead how people starts listening. (wow, I could even write the lyrics again >.

a

+ 1

angelikavergel 2011-10-26 05:01:32

The song alludes to lord tennyson's poem "the lady of shalott" (based off a legend from the days of king arthur, elaine of astolat), and a collection of tennyson's poems is a freqent image in the video. Tennyson's "the lady of shalott" is a poem about a girl living in a mysterious tower, who is cursed with death if she should leave. The lady of shalott does leave and she takes a boat and floats down a river toward camelot. She dies while singing before she arrives. She is found with the boat near camelot, and sir lancelot and all the people marvel at her beauty.

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