Live For Me
Blue Öyster Cult Lyrics

It was a wet night
The atmosphere was damp and gloomy that night

And the other guy
Referring to someone else involved in the accident

Was lubricated with a pint of Jack
The other person was drunk when the accident happened

His truck hit
The drunk driver's truck collided with Jimmy's car

Jimmy's chevy
Referring to the type of car that Jimmy was driving

With a sound like a thunder crack
The collision was very loud and sudden

I was working late but I felt it happen
Even though the singer was working, they somehow sensed that something terrible had happened

I knew that my brother was laid low
The artist knew that their brother was involved in the accident and was badly injured

I waited for the call
The artist waited for news on their brother's condition

And then the damn call came
Eventually, the artist received a call with tragic news

And I knew what I knew and didn't want to know
The singer had a sense of what the news would be and was in denial about it

Live for me
The artist's dying brother's request to live in a way that honors his memory

Live twice as big
To live more fully and abundantly with each day

Love twice as long
To love deeply and sincerely for a longer period of time

Work twice as hard
To work harder and more diligently to achieve your goals

Play all of your cards
To take advantage of every opportunity presented to you and not hold back

Burn twice as bright
To live with energy and passion, leaving a lasting impact on everyone around you

Three times as long
To live longer with a greater sense of purpose and fulfillment

But brother, don't do no one wrong
To live righteously and not harm others in the process

Beth thought he would make it through the winter
Someone named Beth had hope that the artist's brother would survive the winter season

I never really thought so myself
The artist didn't feel as optimistic and expected the worst

The dark spirit was always hoverin' nearer
The artist felt that death was always looming closer

And I knew in my heart there was just no help
The singer felt helpless in the face of their brother's deteriorating health

When he called me to the bed
When the dying brother summoned the artist to his bedside

Took my hand to say goodbye
The brother held the singer's hand as he said his final goodbyes

He said he wouldn't blame nobody
The dying brother expressed forgiveness and didn't want anyone to feel guilty about his death

Said he wouldn't ask the Lord why
The brother was at peace with his fate and didn't question the circumstances that led to his death

And when he passed on
When the brother died

A March wind blew
The weather was windy when the brother passed away

Sun drew away a veil of cloud
The cloudy weather cleared up and became sunny

We buried him smiling
The brother was buried with a smile on his face, indicating a peaceful and contented death

We buried him deep
The brother was laid to rest in a solemn and dignified ceremony

And I could hear him sayin' right out loud
The artist heard their brother's voice in their head, expressing his message of living life to the fullest and doing no harm to others