Song #33: Travis Tritt - "It's a Great Day to Be Alive"

Song #33: Travis Tritt - "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" (2000)

Down the Road I Go

"It's a goofy thing, but I just gotta say, I'm doing all right."

After my entry on Chief Keef's "Savage," I think we need a breather in this blog series, which is why I chose my next entry to focus on Travis Tritt's wonderful ballad "It's a Great Day to Be Alive." The song concerns exactly what the title alludes to, with no underlying, cynical context to be added or bestowed upon the material. The song has Tritt in a feel-good mood, as he expresses greatness in the regard that he's "doing all right," and has no present worries or complaints. He's just happy to be alive.

The song concerns one man's gratefulness to be alive, when some days, admittedly, that's the thing we take for granted the most. Prolific news reports on TV show shootings, stabbings, or deadly diseases killing people left and right, but many of us still take for granted the fact that we're still walking this Earth and we are fortunate for what we have. 

The song iterates my idea about being grateful, even for the little things, but the act of "being grateful" is so hard to convey quietly; usually you have to proclaim it or state it in context. While being passively grateful is more difficult, it's something I always try to do whenever I hear this song. Think about my life, the fact I live in a moderately-wealthy neighborhood, have attended great, safe schools, was granted with amazing opportunities my high school career and got untold amounts of recognition through generous and explicit awards that I didn't even know (or believe) I was qualified for. Not to mention the fact that I have found something I'm deeply passionate about, which takes some people their entire life to find out. 

"It's a Great Day to Be Alive," even in its sentimental state, is still a song that we need to sing more often.

Give "It's a Great Day to Be Alive" a listen, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d4tSE2w53ts