I have wonderful memories of singing this one in the van on the way to school. I was in a phase of work where I was growing Flat Out Assembly and was really optimistic as to where it was going. Plus its got an awesome beat! The phrase “live it up” is associated with partying in a moment rather than living life to the full. It is this second definition that 360 is talking about but the upbeat music plays into the more popular use of the phrase.
There ain’t no limit to us now
‘Cause Eventually always comes around
Oh, whether we die old or whether we die young
Gotta live it up till it’s gone
Live it up till it’s gone [x6]
Live it up till it’s…
The chorus sums up the message of the song perfectly. We often feel restricted in what we can do and place our own limits on what we can achieve. It’s nice to be reminded that these limitations aren’t real. We might put off things, hoping to get around to them eventually. The truth is that Eventually will come around and can find us either closer to our goals or still saying “one day”. We can’t be sure of our allotted time on earth, we might die young or live a long life, either way we should be living our lives to the full. Live it up!
[360:]
Had a cloudy head, yeah I know that
Since the fog cleared I’ll never go back
There will be times when we can look back at our lives and admit that we weren’t at our best. This is a normal and natural path through life. When we come out of these times it’s important to acknowledge this and try not to return to this behaviour.
And I’m grateful they shot me down
or the person I am I would not be now
Sometimes it takes the responses and criticism of others to show us the error in our ways. The criticism can be as good for us as praise.
Yeah, it ain’t good to be bullet proof
‘cause in the end that bullet will be good for you
When I think of all the things that I wouldn’t do now
if it wasn’t for that one little bullet wound
That means you’ve gotta learn for mistakes
and no one persons the same
No one is emotionally bulletproof, but we can try and ignore advice and think we know better. There’s a difficult balance between listening to good advice and blocking out nasty, unhelpful comments. It is possible that what felt like an attack is meant as a kindness that we can grow from.
Don’t run from anything that hurts you to face
Each step you take you get further away
This is a big one. All the good bits of advice are easy to say and hard to do. We know when we are avoiding a challenge because of possible failure and embarrassment. When it’s only fear of failure that holds us back, these are the moments we need to step toward our fears or we will get further away from our potential.
There was a time when I thought of giving up
What I was living my life for didn’t come
Now I haven’t got time for what I wouldn’t die for
I know that our life’s short, so live it up
Even as we move toward our goals it is possible that the destination feels too far away. Perseverance and an appreciation for the joy of working toward something you believe in can give us that feeling of being willing to “die” for what we do.
Live it up till it’s gone [x3]
Got to live it up
Live it up till it’s gone [x3]
Got to live it up
[PEZ:]
Life’s a journey, I know that
and it doesn’t come with a road map
So you know to get through this maze
along the way I made a few mistakes
These responses to song lyrics are my attempt to pass on some road signs that might be helpful as you try and navigate your way through life. None of us tread the same roads; we are all different, born in different times with different goals and aspirations. We make mistakes and we take wrong turns. Life can feel a lot more like being lost in a maze rather than cruising down a big highway. If you find yourself going the wrong way, just turn around and go the other way!
Ever since then I left it all behind
Life’s never been better
Head up in the clouds where it oughta be
‘cause they say life’s ordinary, but it not
There will be moments of clarity in your life. Moments when you recognise the mistakes you were making and get onto the right path with your eyes looking up, not backward. Even a life that can be described as ordinary when compared to the most successful among is unique and special.
Still for a minute I got in a rut
In prison I was limited and feeling stuck
A rut in a road is like an inverse train track that denies us the possibility of changing our course. If we feel like we are living without the freedom to choose it is like being in prison.
Had my glass half empty had to fill it up
Now I think I want to get myself a bigger cup
I had this line written on my whiteboard. We often hear the phrase “glass half full”. People can choose to view a situation as positive or negative. The same glass can be half full – positive – to one person and half empty – negative – to another. I love how he took it further and imagined a full cup not being big enough for his new outlook on life.
That’s how the cards are dealt
Will it stay that way, only time will tell
When I, think I want to cry for help
I just try to remind myself
Nothing is guaranteed in life. We can come out of a low point and feel fantastic, but who knows for how long and what the next challenge will be. Taking a lesson from your own good experiences and reminding yourself of these good times can help us when we’re struggling again.
There ain’t no limit to us now
Cause Eventually always comes around
Oh whether we die old or whether we die young
Gotta live it up till it’s gone
Live it up till it’s gone [x6]
Gotta live it up
[360 & PEZ:]
I don’t know what the future holds
I don’t know if I’ll achieve my goals
I just know life beautiful
Maybe that’s cause I’m living it on cruise control
We really don’t know what the future will look like for us. The possibility of not achieving goals shouldn’t stop us from trying. Life is beautiful and cruise control can be set at what ever speed we choose.
‘Cause truth be told, it doesn’t matter
if you make the whole way up the ladder
Just as long as your living out your dream
It is in the effort to reach our goals that a full life is lived.
They used to tell me it was out of reach
But now, I’m flying at a thousand feet
Never looking at the ground beneath
There will always be (well-meaning) people who tell us what we can’t do. And like I said earlier, an “ordinary” life can still be a beautiful one, but only when we are living out our life to the fullest by our own standards. The world’s troubles can seem a long way below us when we keep our perspective clear and focussed on the things that are important to us.
See I got rid of all the doubt in me
Who I was ain’t shit on what I’m ‘bout to be
A bold statement. Doubt will always be our biggest challenge and if we can act despite our doubt we will always feel positive about the future.
Because, growing up all I heard was the same story
and if I don’t learn well the blames on me
So I started saying yes today
to all the things I said no to yesterday
So fun to say! It is doubt and fear that holds us back from saying yes to the challenging opportunities that life will present us with.
Oh whether we die old or whether we die young,
Gotta live it up till it’s gone
Live it up till it’s…
