Life (Des'ree song)

"Life"
Single by Des'ree
from the album Supernatural
B-side "Open Mind"
Released 21 June 1998
Format CD single, CD maxi, 12" maxi
Recorded 1998
Genre Soul, pop
Length 3:28
Label S2
Writer(s) Prince Sampson
Des'ree Weekes
Producer(s) Prince Sampson
Des'ree Weekes
Certification Platinum France, 1998
Des'ree singles chronology
"Fire"
(1998)		 "Life"
(1998)		 "What's Your Sign?"
(1998)
Music sample
Des'ree – "Life"

"Life" is a popular song recorded by the British pop and soul singer Des'ree. It was the third single from her third album, Supernatural, and was released on 2 June 1998. This song remains Des'ree's biggest hit, peaking at number one in Austria, Malawi, Italy and the Netherlands "Life" is also the theme song for the Japanese drama To Heart.

Lyrics and music video

Taking an "innocuous tone", this playful song mixes "stories about superstitions, phobias and travels around the world". The melody is "upbeat and jubilant".[1] However, the banal lyrics and simplistic rhymes have been widely derided, with the song winning the "worst ever pop lyric" in a BBC poll,[2] particularly for the verse:

I don't want to see a ghost
It's the sight that I fear most
I'd rather have a piece of toast
Watch the evening news

In the music video, the singer is sitting on the back seat of a black 1965 Oldsmobile F-85 Cutlass convertible, driven by a chauffeur. Des'ree is initially sheltered from the sun by a black umbrella, which then flies away. The car passes through sugar cane fields, apparently in Guyana. A crop duster flies overhead, but instead of spraying pesticide, it drops a host of butterflies. The video was directed by Mike Lipscombe.

Track listings

CD single – UK
  1. "Life" (single version) – 3:28
  2. "Open Mind" – 4:19
CD maxi 1 – UK
  1. "Life" – 3:28
  2. "Open Mind" – 4:19
  3. "Get a Life" – 3:32
  4. "I'm Kissing You" – 4:52
CD maxi 2 – UK
  1. "Life" (long version) – 4:22
  2. "Life" (cosmack mix) – 4:25
  3. "Life" (cosmack extended mix) – 7:45
  4. "Life" (Brooklin funk R&B mix – no rap) – 5:00
CD maxi – Australia
  1. "Life" (single version) – 3:28
  2. "Open Mind" – 4:19
  3. "Get a Life" – 3:32
  4. "Life" (cosmack mix) – 4:25
  5. "Life" (cosmack extended mix) – 7:45
12" maxi – UK
  1. "Life" (long version) – 4:22
  2. "Life" (cosmack mix) – 4:25
  3. "Life" (cosmack extended mix) – 7:45
CD single – Promo
  1. "Life" (cosmack radio edit) – 3:09
  2. "Life" (special radio mix) – 3:12
  3. "Life" (Brooklyn funk R&B radio edit) – 3:52

Charts and certifications

Peak positions

Chart (1998) Peak
position
Australia (ARIA)[3] 8
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)[3] 1
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Flanders)[3] 2
Belgium (Ultratop 50 Wallonia)[3] 3
Denmark (IFPI)[3] 13
France (SNEP)[3] 2
Germany (Media Control Charts)[3] 8
Ireland (IRMA)[4] 3
Italy (FIMI)[5] 1
Norway (VG-lista)[3] 9
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40)[6] 1
New Zealand (RIANZ)[3] 21
Spain (AFYVE) 3
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[3] 3
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)[3] 3
United Kingdom (The Official Charts Company)[7] 8

Year-end charts

Chart (1998) Position
Australian Singles Chart[8] 38
Austrian Singles Chart[9] 7
Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart[10] 17
Dutch Top 40[6] 6
French Singles Chart[11] 11
Swiss Singles Chart[12] 12

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/Sales
Australia (ARIA)[13] Platinum 70,000^
Austria (IFPI Austria)[14] Gold 25,000*
France (SNEP)[15] Platinum 500,000*
Germany (BVMI)[16] Gold 250,000^
Netherlands (NVPI)[17] Platinum 75,000^
Sweden (GLF)[18] Platinum 30,000^
Switzerland (IFPI Switzerland)[19] Gold 25,000^

*sales figures based on certification alone
^shipments figures based on certification alone

Chart successions

Preceded by
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)"
by Pras Michel feat. ODB and intr. Mýa		 Austrian number-one single (first run)
9 August 1998 		Succeeded by
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)"
by Pras Michel feat. ODB and intr. Mýa
Preceded by
"De bestemming" by Marco Borsato		 Dutch Top 40 number-one single
22 August 1998 – 19 September 1998 		Succeeded by
"No Matter What" by Boyzone
Preceded by
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)"
by Pras Michel feat. ODB and intr. Mýa		 Austrian number-one single (second run)
23 August 1998 – 30 August 1998 		Succeeded by
"Ghetto Supastar (That Is What You Are)"
by Pras Michel feat. ODB and intr. Mýa

References

  1. ↑ Elia Habib, Muz hit. tubes, p. 431 (ISBN 2-9518832-0-X)
  2. ↑ "6 Music reveals worst pop lyrics in the world... ever!" (Press release). BBC 6 Music. 4 May 2007. Retrieved 20 August 2009.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Life", in various singles charts Lescharts.com (Retrieved 24 February 2008)
  4. ↑ Irish Single Chart Irishcharts.ie (Retrieved 24 February 2008)
  5. ↑ Italian Singles Chart Hitparadeitalia.it (Retrieved 24 February 2008)
  6. 1 2 "Single top 100 over 1998" (pdf) (in Dutch). Top40. Retrieved 20 April 2010.
  7. ↑ "Life", UK Singles Chart Chartstats.com (Retrieved 21 August 2008)
  8. ↑ 1998 Australian Singles Chart aria.com (Retrieved 22 August 2008)
  9. ↑ 1998 Austrian Singles Chart Austriancharts.at (Retrieved 22 August 2008)
  10. ↑ 1998 Belgian (Wallonia) Singles Chart Ultratop.be (Retrieved 22 August 2008)
  11. ↑ 1998 French Singles Chart Ifop.com (Retrieved 22 August 2008)
  12. ↑ 1998 Swiss Singles Chart Hitparade.ch (Retrieved 22 August 2008)
  13. ↑ "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1998 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association.
  14. ↑ "Austrian single certifications – Des'ree – Life" (in German). IFPI Austria. Enter Des'ree in the field Interpret. Enter Life in the field Titel. Select single in the field Format. Click Suchen
  15. ↑ "French single certifications – Des'ree – Life" (in French). Syndicat National de l'Édition Phonographique.
  16. ↑ "Gold-/Platin-Datenbank (Des'ree; 'Life')" (in German). Bundesverband Musikindustrie.
  17. ↑ "Dutch single certifications – Des'ree – Life" (in Dutch). Nederlandse Vereniging van Producenten en Importeurs van beeld- en geluidsdragers.
  18. ↑ "Guld- och Platinacertifikat − År 1987−1998" (PDF) (in Swedish). IFPI Sweden.
  19. ↑ "The Official Swiss Charts and Music Community: Awards (Des'ree; 'Life')". IFPI Switzerland. Hung Medien.

External links

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