The Wildly Romantic Lyrics of LeAnn Rimes’ “How Do I Live,” Explained
This is a LeAnn Rimes classic.
One of LeAnn Rimes's most romantic and devastating hits, "How Do I Live," has been a karaoke favorite for decades thanks to its soaring melody and poignant lyrics. The song asks a simple question, "How do I live without the one I love?," that anyone who has experienced or even contemplated loss can understand. Here's everything to know about the song.
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"How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes is about love and loss
The central premise of the song is simple: How do I exist without the one I love? In the lyrics, it’s clear that the singer hasn’t actually lost their person, instead asking a hypothetical: “How do I breathe without you? If you ever go.” But the meaning is also poignant for those grappling with loss after the fact. “I need you in my arms, need you to hold, you’re my world, my heart, my soul” is a gut-punch of longing. It's also general enough that it could refer to a lover, a child, a family member, or a friend, lending the song a universality.
How Trisha Yearwood's version ended up in Con Air
It's common in Nashville for singers to do covers of songs first recorded or made famous by others. LeAnn Rimes' first hit, "Blue," was originally sung by Bill Mack in 1958. But typically, these different versions come out years if not decades apart as artists put their own spin on the songs.
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In the case of "How Do I Live," however, it seems wires got crossed, and two versions of the song ended up on the radio at the exact same time. Diane Warren, queen of movie hits, penned the ballad for the 1997 blockbuster Con Air, and the producers sent it to Rimes, who was 15 at the time, to record. However, per Rolling Stone, once they heard her version, they decided they wanted a more mature country voice, and asked Trisha Yearwood to come in.
Both versions of the song were released to radio on the same day, and both did well on the charts, with Rimes' version selling more copies, but Yearwood's version earning the singer a Grammy. Their combined popularity made "How Do I Live" one of the defining songs of the 1990s.
