"Hang On to Your Life" is a song written by Burton Cummings and Kurt Winter and performed by The Guess Who. The song is featured on their 1970 album, Share the Land.The Guess Who, Share the Land Retrieved March 10, 2015 The producer was Jack Richardson and the arrangement was by The Guess Who.The Guess Who, "Hang on to Your Life" Canadian single release Retrieved March 10, 2015 On the 8-track tape edition of Share the Land, the song was edited to make it a bit longer in order to fill out the timing on the first channel (a few extra measures appear before each verse).
Background This song is an anti-drug message. In the chorus section, the phrase: "Oh Life", is repeated a few times, in an echo that fades falsely, depicting a heartbeat. ("Oh Life, Oh Life, Oh Life"). Before the song's ending, the "Oh" in the phrase is heard stronger, with the repeated phrase fading in the spoken coda section.
At the end of the album version Cummings recites verses 13-15 of Psalm 22. The single version ends just before he speaks.
Personnel Personnel taken from Share the Land liner notes.
Burton Cummings – lead vocals, organ Kurt Winter – lead guitar Greg Leskiw – lead guitar Jim Kale – bass Garry Peterson – drums, congas
Chart performance It reached #5 in CanadaThe Guess Who, "Hang on to Your Life" Canadian Chart Position Retrieved March 10, 2015 and #43 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1971.The Guess Who, "Hang on to Your Life" United States Chart Position Retrieved March 10, 2015 It was also released in the United Kingdom as a single, but it did not chart.The Guess Who, "Hang on to Your Life" UK single release Retrieved March 10, 2015
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