Rivera was signed to Columbia Records as a solo musical artist in 2011 and—despite never releasing a studio album—released a single, "Sorry", featuring rapper Big Sean, in 2013. On film, Rivera made her debut as Vera in the horror film At the Devil's Door (2014) before playing a supporting role in the comedy film Mad Families (2017). Her personal life garnered significant press and media attention throughout her career. In 2016, she published a memoir titled Sorry Not Sorry: Dreams, Mistakes, and Growing Up.
On July 8, 2020, Rivera was declared a missing person after her four-year-old son, Josey, was found alone in Rivera's rented BoAt at Lake Piru, near Santa Clarita, California. Her body was recovered from the lake on the morning of July 13 following a five-day search.
If I Die Young
Naya Rivera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 stands under my colours, oh and
Life ain't always what you think it oughta be, no
Ain't even grey, 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 says he'll love me forever
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
Santana with New Directions:
The sharp knife of a short life,
Santana:
Well I've had just enough (Santana with New Directions: time)
Ooh yeah
Ooh whoa
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 them for a dollar
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'
If I die young
Santana with New Directions:
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
Santana (New Directions):
Uh oh (uh oh)
The ballad of a dove
Go with peace and love
Santana with New Directions:
Gather up your tears
Santana:
Keep 'em in your pocket
Save 'em for a time when your really gonna need 'em oh
Santana with New Directions:
The sharp knife of a short life
Santana:
Well I've had just enough (Santana with New Directions: time)
So put on your best boys
And I'll wear my pearls
The song, “If I Die Young” by Naya Rivera, is about a young woman reflecting on her life and contemplating her mortality. The song is in the form of a ballad, with the singer imagining her own death and what happens afterward. She asks to be buried in satin, laid down on a bed of roses, and sunk into the river at dawn. She wants to be sent away with the words of a love song, indicating that she wants to be remembered fondly by those who loved her. The singer then talks about her mother and how she will shine down on her like a rainbow when she is gone, to let her know that she will always be with her. She reflects on how life can be unpredictable and difficult at times, and how her own life has been short but full enough.
Line by Line Meaning
If I die young bury me in satin
If I die at a young age, wrap me in a soft satin cloth.
Lay me down on a bed of roses
Place me gently on a bed made of roses.
Sink me in the river at dawn
Put me in the river early in the morning.
Send me away with the words of a love song
Let me go with the words of a song about love.
Lord make me a rainbow
I hope to be transformed into a colorful spectacle in the sky.
I'll shine down on my mother
I'll be a light for my mother.
She'll know I'm safe with you when
My mother will feel that I'm safe with God.
She stands under my colours, oh and
She'll recognize me by the colors of the rainbow.
Life ain't always what you think it oughta be, no
Life isn't always what you expect it to be.
Ain't even grey, but she buries her baby
Even though death itself isn't defined by one color, it's hard to bury your child.
The sharp knife of a short life,
A short life feels like a sharp knife.
Well, I've had just enough time
Although my life was short, it was enough time for me.
And I'll be wearing white when I come into your kingdom
I'll be pure when I reach heaven.
I'm as green as the ring on my little cold finger
I'm young and inexperienced with life.
I've never known the lovin' of a man
I've never been in love with a man.
But it sure felt nice when he was holding my hand
I felt nice when we were together, even if it wasn't true love.
There's a boy here in town says he'll love me forever
There's a boy here who says he'll love me indefinitely.
Who would have thought forever could be severed by
Who would have thought that forever could end suddenly, as it did with my life.
So put on your best boys and I'll wear my pearls
Wear your best clothes to my funeral, and I'll wear my favorite accessory.
What I never did is done
Everything I never got to do in life can never be done now.
A penny for my thoughts
These are my thoughts and ideas.
Oh no, I'll sell them for a dollar
Rather than a penny, I'll sell them when I'm gone for a larger sum.
They're worth so much more after I'm a goner
My thoughts will be worth more once I'm gone.
And maybe then you'll hear the words I been singin'
Perhaps then, you'll understand what I was truly trying to say.
Funny when you're dead how people start listenin'
It's ironic that people only listen to me once I'm gone.
The ballad of a dove
This is a song about the life and death of a dove.
Go with peace and love
Depart from this life peacefully and with love.
Gather up your tears
Collect and save your tears.
Keep 'em in your pocket
Keep your tears with you at all times.
Save 'em for a time when your really gonna need 'em oh
Save them for a time when you will truly need them, deeply and sincerely.
Uh oh (uh oh)
Uh oh.
Contributed by Elliot Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
keithleen cruz
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
Oh-oh, oh-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, says he'll love me forever
Who would have 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
Oh-oh, (oh-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
I’mtheDoctor
Naya singing “sink me in the river” will forever give me chills now, in fact I don’t think I’ll ever be able to listen to this song the same way ever again.
Rebecca Anne from Maryland
I miss. You 😢
Panda
@I’mtheDoctor her son had no life jacket on and jumped neither did she so she went in and grabbed him and didn’t get herself back on board then drowned and the police found her son like 2 days later
Shanita Gilmore
That's exactly why their investigateing all 3 Untimely deaths
Sean Lann
Technically it was a lake
But still coincidental though
Ida- Dimas-Kim
A TRUE PROPHECY, IT GIVES ME SUCH SENSE OF HOPELESSNESS AND ONE OF THE TRUEST PAINFUL THINGS WE COLLECTIVELY EXPERIENCED AND IT MAKES IT EVER MORE PAINFUL WHEN YOU THINK OF HER CHILD 💔
Orion
Santana’s breakdown mid-song wasn’t scripted. She was supposed to run out after the song ended, but Naya couldn’t finish the song. The characters’ reactions are actually the real actors’ reactions. This episode had barely any acting in it the emotions and everything was real and especially when Lea in the episode said what the ending of glee was going to be was heartbreaking this episode was just heartbreaking. Santana’s breakdown and leaving the room wasn’t scripted Naya Rivera in an interview said instead of if I die young she was going to sing girls just wanna have fun the song Cory sang to her in glee but she couldn’t sing a couple of lines without breaking down so she sang if I die young instead. Naya's breakdown was scripted, but she broke down before she was supposed to. The episode was in honor of Corey Monteith (Finn) who died on July 13, 2013 of a drug overdose. Tragically seven years to the day of his death Naya Rivera's (Santana) body was found after being missing for five days...
Panda
Yea on this episode they had everyone’s raw reaction
jacqueline espinola
You can see and hear how in the last seconds between 1:46–1:51 the Audio From the Studio and the scene didn’t match, it’s not normal singing perfectly while you’re mount is shaking.. then you can hear a tiny difference of the origin of the audio when she started the clearly breakdown. I wasn’t sure but when I saw the first time I really thought it wasn’t in the script. This song is so sad…
Scott Wigton
@Daphine holland ik, glee is such an emotional show in general but that episode was especially vulnerable.