Lyrics
Verse 1
I woke up today with a reason to praise
I got some air in my lungs and a smile on my face
I walked outside and I saw blue sky
Man, I'm so blessed I get to be alive
What a life
Chorus
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
Verse 2
I went for a drive and my car worked fine
When I made it to the store, it didn't have a line
I told my kids no, they didn't throw a fit
Well, maybe they did just a little bit
What a life
Chorus
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
Bridge
Tomorrow isn't promised
And yesterday is gone
So let's live like time is borrowed
And sing this one last song
Verse 3
Right before my show, I met this little kid
His mom said he wasn't even supposed to live
But some lady prayed for the cancer to go
And the X-ray showed it was a miracle
Oh, what a life
Chorus
What a life
What a life
What a life
What a life
Credits & Song Information
Video
Meaning & Inspiration
"What A Life" is a song of gratitude built from ordinary details. The first verse begins with waking up "with a reason to praise," air in the lungs and a clear blue sky, and the second counts small mercies such as a car that "worked fine" and a store with no line. The repeated chorus does little more than say "What a life," leaving the accumulated details to carry the song.
The bridge turns from daily comforts to a sober thought, "Tomorrow isn't promised / And yesterday is gone," and concludes that life should be lived "like time is borrowed." The final verse adds a story of a child who was not supposed to live, a prayer for cancer to go, and an X-ray that "showed it was a miracle." That wording presents gratitude as a response to small and large gifts alike.
These themes sit beside the invitation to rejoice in the day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24) and the picture of life as a passing mist (James 4:14), though the song itself does not cite either passage.
Related Scripture
- Psalm 118:24 Calls the day one the Lord has made and invites rejoicing, matching waking up with a reason to praise.
- James 4:14 Describes life as a mist that appears briefly, matching the bridge on tomorrow not being promised.