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23 Best Songs About Life & Living

The perfect playlist for reflecting on life’s many lessons.

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Best Songs About Life

The best songs about life capture the ups and downs of life’s many facets, inspiring us to become better versions of ourselves.

It’s a subject that crosses all cultural boundaries and has produced songs from a broad selection of music genres over the decades.

Continue reading, and we’ll break down all the music you need to hear to remind you how precious life can be and take inspiration to change yours for the better.

 

The 23 Best Songs About Life & Living

We’ve dug through the music archives to uncover a broad selection of songs that discuss life in all its aspects to bring you this definitive list.

This includes some of the best country songs, rock ballads, and catchy pop songs featured in popular animated movies.

Without further ado, here’s our playlist of the 23 best songs about life and living:

 

23. “Bring Me To Life” – Evanescence

Gothic metal hard rock band Evanescence takes the topic of life as something long lost in their song “Bring Me To Life.”

“Bring me to life,” implores the song’s lyrics, continuing, “I’ve been living a lie (bring me to life).”

Evanescence also wrote one of the best songs about breathing, “My Last Breath,” released on their 2002 album Fallen.

 

22. “Living In The Moment” – Jason Mraz

One of the core themes running through many songs about life is to live without regrets, which is the essence of Jason Mraz’s song.

“Living in the Moment” is about embracing life as it happens and not reflecting on things in the past you can no longer change.

It’s a great song for anyone practicing mindfulness who wants to maximize the potential of each moment they live.

 

21. “Unwritten” – Natasha Bedingfield

Released in 2004, Natasha Bedingfield’s “Unwritten” is a song with a positive message about valuing your senses even in the smallest moments.

The song is full of lively instrumentation paired with beautifully bright and vibrant vocals that perfectly match its themes.

Bedingfield released the song on her album of the same name, picking up a Grammy Award nomination for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance.

 

20. “7 Years” – Lukas Graham

Seven-year periods are common in observations on life, which Lukas Graham observes in his warm song about life.

It’s a song about reflecting on a well-lived life, with the lyrics, “Remember life and then your life becomes a better one.”

A reflection on how we all change as time passes, “7 Years” is also an ode to hoping for a beautiful life in the future.

 

19. “Good Life” – Kehlani & G-Eazy

Hip-hop songs often take life as their subject matter, as is the case with “Good Life” by G-Easy featuring Kehlani.

“Raise a cup up for all my day ones,” the lyrics begin, “Two middle fingers for the haters, life’s only getting greater.”

The track, released in 2017, was featured on the soundtrack to The Fate of the Furious, starring Vin Diesel and Dwayne Johnson.

 

18. “One More Light” – Linkin Park

“One More Light” is another inspiring song about life that was also the title of Linkin Park’s seventh studio album from 2017.

The song reminds us to cherish those we love and always let them know we care, no matter the bad blood.

It was the last major single by the band featuring longtime vocalist Chester Bennington, who sadly took his own life shortly after its release.

 

17. “Time Of Our Lives” – Pitbull ft. Ne-Yo

Pitbull merges hip-hop and dance to bring us “Time of Our Lives,” another pounding track that celebrates all aspects of life.

The lyrics cover everyday life, from struggling to find money to pay the rent to hitting a nightclub after a hard week’s work.

Written and produced in 2014, the song was released as part of Pitbull’s album Globalization, which featured Jennifer Lopez in a guest appearance.

 

16. “What Is Life” – George Harrison

Following the break up of the Beatles, George Harrison continued to make a name for himself as a solo artist.

His song “What Is Life” reflects his status as a guru who appreciates the deeper meaning of life and many spiritual belief systems.

Harrison’s many other successes as a solo performer include writing one of the best songs about light, “Here Comes The Sun” by the Beatles.

 

15. “The Show Must Go On” – Queen

When life gets you down, the best thing you can do is get back on your feet and rise to the challenges it throws your way.

That’s the core message behind “The Show Must Go On” by Queen, a defiant anthem to not giving up in the face of adversity.

It’s especially poignant since Freddie Mercury performed it towards the end of his long battle with AIDS.

 

14. “Good Riddance (Time Of Your Life)” – Green Day

Green Day contributed to the best songs about life with “Good Riddance (Time of Your Life), sung by frontman Billy Joe Armstrong.

“It’s something unpredictable,” the lyrics begin, continuing, “But in the end it’s right, I hope you had the time of your life.”

It’s a lively punk tune that reminds us that we are the only people who genuinely orchestrate our destinies and should take charge of our lives.

 

13. “That’s Life” – Frank Sinatra

Frank Sinatra is one of the most enduring singers of all time, having performed some of the best songs of all time, continuing to be widely played.

“That’s Life” is one of his most accessible and well-known songs, encouraging listeners to accept whatever life throws their way.

Written by Dean Kelly for Sinatra, “That’s Life” captures the universal truth about taking the rough with the smooth and pressing on through life.

 

12. “Bless The Broken Road” – Rascal Flatts

Just as we should take the good with the bad, we should also accept our mistakes to learn from them and grow as individuals.

That’s the core theme of “Bless the Broken Road” by Rascal Flatts, who grasp the essence of this message through their touching lyrics.

Rascal Flatts produced many great songs, with their hit track “Life is a Highway” featured on his hit Pixar animated movie, Cars.

 

11. “Let It Go” – Zac Efron

Another excellent Disney production, Frozen, also featured a moving song about life, Zac Efon’s “Let It Go.”

As you’d expect from Disney, this is an eminently-singable song that kids love to hear for its catchy lyrics and melody.

It was also another big hit for Efron, who is perhaps better known for his acting roles in movies such as The Greatest Showman and Baywatch.

 

10. “Dream On” – Aerosmith

A life without dreaming is no life to live, which is the message at the heart of Aerosmith’s song “Dream On.”

Released in 1973, “Dream On” is about striving to achieve your dreams and having no regrets, regardless of what anyone else says.

The band released many hit songs over the years, including one of the best songs about addition you can listen to, “Amazing.”

 

9. “Life Changes” – Thomas Rhett

Thomas Rhett tackles the subject of life and its inevitable changes with the aptly-titled “Life Changes,” released in 2017.

It’s a beautiful song about life with stunning lyrics sung in Rhett’s inimitable country singing style.

Released on the album of the same name, “Life Changes” is a wonderful exploration of college life and the years that follow.

 

8. “Once In A Lifetime” – Talking Heads

“Once in a Lifetime” by the popular band, Talking Heads is one of those great songs that can be interpreted in various ways.

The lyrics explore everything from the contrast between truth and ignorance, grasping moments of clarity and appreciating a beautiful life.

It’s a celebration of our wonderful world, especially when we don’t obsess over the trivial things that distract us from meaning.

 

7. “In My Life” – The Beatles

The Beatles released the excellent song “In My Life” on their 1965 album, “In My Life,” which is all about the great memories that life brings people.

It’s a Beatles song that reflects the ever-changing nature of life and how our memories reflect this shifting landscape of experiences.

The Beatles were no strangers to catchy songs, writing some of the best karaoke songs of all time, including “Hey Jude.”

 

6. “Dust in the Wind” – Kansas

The Kansas song “Dust in the Wind” was released in 1977 and is a contrasting piece of music that is comforting and chilling.

Using dust as a metaphor for all the experiences in the world, it explores everything from money and humanity to nature and the universe.

It’s a song that keenly understands the temporal nature of existence, delivering more profound music than most songs about life you can hear.

 

5. “Don’t Stop Believin’” – Journey

The Journey song “Don’t Stop Believing” is another hit song that urges listeners to strive for much more than just a normal life.

Featuring epic lead guitar riffs and powerful vocals, it’s a solid life song that marries great music with important life lessons.

This upbeat song was featured on the 1981 album from Journey Escape at the height of their popularity in America.

 

4. “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” – Bobby McFerrin

Few people are unfamiliar with the classic pop song “Don’t Worry, Be Happy” by Bobby McFerrin, which was arranged entirely with vocals.

The song title says it all: this is a track that encourages everyone to set aside their concerns and focus on the good things in life.

It’s based on a phrase from the Indian guru Meher Baba, who once described himself as a God in human form.

 

3. “Slip Slidin’ Away” – Paul Simon

Paul Simon has written and performed dozens of tunes over the year, with “Slip Slidin’ Away” one of the most popular songs of his career.

It’s both catchy and sensitive, with smooth vocals that convey a melancholic undertone about the impermanence of life.

Simon released the track on his compilation album Greatest Hits, Etc, which he released in 1977 to critical and commercial acclaim.

 

2. “Beautiful Day” – U2

Perhaps one of the best beautiful songs about life came from Irish rock band U2, with “Beautiful Day” one of their biggest chart hits.

The popular song captures the importance of adopting a positive outlook on life and seeing the best side of everything you experience.

No stranger to success, U2 won 22 Grammy Awards along with 46 nominations, making them one of the most celebrated bands in history.

 

1. “Circle Of Life” – Elton John

You don’t have to be a Disney movie fan to have heard Elton John’s “Circle of Life,” which was featured prominently on the soundtrack to The Lion King.

Elton John explores life as a transitionary process, with death and rebirth at the core of everything that lives.

He’s a prolific singer-songwriter who also wrote one of the best songs about flying, “Rocket Man (I Think It’s Going To Be a Long, Long Time).”

 

Summary

That’s a wrap on this article exploring the best songs about life you can listen to, examining the theme across various genres, artists, and bands.

It’s a perennial topic explored from all angles, including the best way to live a good life and learn from our mistakes.

We can expect many more songs about life to continue to be produced as we enjoy new and exciting experiences that influence creative expression. 

What songs about life have inspired you to become a better person? Leave a comment below.

Andy has been producing music since the early days of Cubase and spent much of the 2000s mixing house and techno with his trusty Technics 1200s. Fast forward two decades, you'll find him in his home studio experimenting with the latest music production software, tinkering with Ableton plug-ins, and occasionally trying (and failing) to complete Cuphead for the hundredth time.