About The Song
“Living and Living Well” is a mid-tempo country song recorded by George Strait for his twenty-first studio album, The Road Less Traveled. The album was released on November 6, 2001, by MCA Nashville Records. The track was written by Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, and Tom Shapiro, with production handled by Tony Brown and George Strait himself.
The song was released as the second single from the album on February 4, 2002, following the lead single “Run,” which peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard Hot Country Songs chart. “Living and Living Well” debuted at No. 59 on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart for the week of February 16, 2002. It climbed to No. 1 in June 2002, spending one week at the top. The single also crossed over modestly, reaching No. 27 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The Road Less Traveled was certified Platinum by the RIAA for shipments of one million copies in the United States. The album produced three singles overall: “Run” (No. 2), “Living and Living Well” (No. 1), and “She’ll Leave You with a Smile” (No. 1). Additional tracks like “Stars on the Water” (a cover of Rodney Crowell’s song) charted lower at No. 50 from unsolicited airplay.
Songwriters Tony Martin, Mark Nesler, and Tom Shapiro were prominent Nashville writers in the era. Nesler had previously co-written hits like Tim McGraw’s “Just to See You Smile,” while Shapiro contributed to numerous chart-toppers for artists including Jo Dee Messina and Billy Ray Cyrus. The track runs 3:38 in its album version and 3:27 in the single edit.
Recording took place primarily at Ocean Way Recording in Nashville, Tennessee, with engineering by Chuck Ainlay. The album featured a mix of original material and covers, including “Good Time Charley’s” (originally by Del Reeves) and “My Life’s Been Grand” (originally by Merle Haggard). Strait’s version of “Stars on the Water” notably used Auto-Tune on his vocals, a production choice initiated by Tony Brown that Strait initially questioned but later approved after adjustments.
By 2002, George Strait had long been established as a country music icon, with this single marking another addition to his record-setting number of No. 1 hits. The song remains a staple in his live performances and compilations, including 50 Number Ones released in 2004.
Video
Lyric
Had a nice little life
A little boat a little beach
A little routine I liked
A blue ocean view
Free to go with the flow
Anywhere that I wanted to
But the moment you set foot on my shore
That’s when I knewThere’s a difference in living and living well
You can’t have it all all by yourself
Something’s always missing
‘Til you share it with someone else
There’s a difference in living and living well‘Til you sailed with me
Thought that I had it good
As good as it could be
From the back of my deck
Caught a fish caught a breeze
And a thousand red sunsets
But sitting here with you girl I just saw
The best one yetThere’s a difference in living and living well
You can’t have it all all by yourself
Something’s always missing
‘Til you share it with someone else
There’s a difference in living and living wellMy days are brighter
My sky a deeper blue
My nights are sweeter
When I’m with youThere’s a difference in living and living well
You can’t have it all all by yourself
Something’s always missing
‘Til you share it with someone else
There’s a difference in living and living well‘Til you smiled with me
Thought that I had it good
As good as it could be
From the back of my deck
Caught a fish caught a breeze
And a thousand red sunsets
But sitting here with you girl I just saw
The best one yetThere’s a difference in living and living well
‘Til you share it with someone else
There’s a difference in living
And living well