Lets Live for Today

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

1967 single by The Grass Roots

"Let`s Live for Today" is a song written by David "Shel" Shapiro and Italian lyricist Mogol, with English lyrics provided by Michael Julien.[1][2] It was first recorded, with Italian lyrics, under the title "Piangi con me" (translating as "Cry with Me") by the Italian-based English band the Rokes in 1966.[1][2] Later, when "Piangi con me" was due to be released in the United Kingdom, publisher Dick James Music requested that staff writer Julien compose English lyrics for the song.[2]

The song was popularized by the American rock band the Grass Roots,[1] who released it as a single on May 13, 1967.[3] The Grass Roots` version climbed to number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, eventually selling over two million copies and being awarded a gold disc.[1][4][5] The song also became the title track of the Grass Roots` second album, Let`s Live for Today.[6] Since its initial release, the Grass Roots` rendition of the song has become a staple of oldies radio programming in America and is today widely regarded by critics as a 1960s classic.[2]

History

Early recordings

The song that would become "Let`s Live for Today" was originally written by English musician David "Shel" Shapiro in 1966, with words by Italian lyricist Mogol and entitled "Piangi con me" (translating as "Cry with Me").[1][2] At the time, Shapiro was a member of the Rokes, an English beat music group who had relocated to Italy in 1963 and had signed a recording contract with RCA Italiana the following year.[1][2] During the mid-1960s, the Rokes became a popular band on the Italian charts, achieving a number of top 20 hits with Italian-language cover versions of popular British and American songs.[2][7] By 1966, however, the band had begun to write their own material, including "Piangi con me", which was released as the B-side of their Italian number three hit "Che colpa abbiamo noi"[1][2] The vocals on the Rokes` original recording of "Piangi con me" were by the band`s drummer Mike Shepstone, rather than Shapiro.[8]

Plans were made to release "Piangi con me" in the United Kingdom and, as a result, Shapiro wrote English lyrics for the song under the title "Passing Thru Grey".[2] However, the song`s publisher in Britain, Dick James Music, was unhappy with these lyrics and decided that they should be changed.[2] Michael Julien, a member of the publisher`s writing staff, was assigned the task of writing new words for the song and came up with the title and concept of "Let`s Live for Today".[2] According to writer Andy Morten, the new lyrics "captur[ed] the era`s zeitgeist of freedom and hedonism...".[8] The Rokes` version was released by RCA Victor in April 1967, on the same day that a rival version by London band the Living Daylights was released on the Philips record label.[8][2] Neither version reached the UK charts.

The Grass Roots` version

In the United States, the Rokes` version of "Let`s Live for Today" found its way to the head of Dunhill Records, who felt that the song would make a suitable single release for the Grass Roots.[1] The songwriting/production team of P. F. Sloan and Steve Barri, who managed the Grass Roots` recordings, were also enthusiastic about the song, with Sloan being particularly enamored with of the similarities that the song`s chorus had with the Drifters` single "I Count the Tears".[1] "Let`s Live for Today" was recorded by the Grass Roots with the help of session musicians, including Sloan on lead guitar, and was released as a single in May 1967.[1][3] The lead vocal on the Grass Roots` recording was sung by the band`s bassist Rob Grill[1] and the distinctive "1-2-3-4" count-in before the chorus was sung by guitarist Warren Entner.

The song quickly became popular with the American record buying public, selling over two million copies in the U.S.[1] and finally peaking at number 8 on the Billboard Hot 100 during June 1967.[4] As well as being popular with domestic American audiences, "Let`s Live for Today" also found favor with young American men serving overseas in the Vietnam War, as music critic Bruce Eder of AllMusic has noted: "Where the single really struck a resonant chord was among men serving in Vietnam; the song`s serious emotional content seemed to overlay perfectly with the sense of uncertainty afflicting most of those in combat; parts of the lyric could have echoed sentiments in any number of letters home, words said on last dates, and thoughts directed to deeply missed wives and girlfriends."[1] Eder also described "Let`s Live for Today" by the Grass Roots as "one of the most powerful songs and records to come out of the 1960s".[1]

In addition to its appearance on the Grass Roots` Let`s Live for Today album, the song also appears on several of the band`s compilations, including Golden Grass, Their 16 Greatest Hits, Anthology: 1965–1975, and All Time Greatest Hits.[1]

Other versions

Along with the Rokes, the Living Daylights, and the Grass Roots, the song has also been recorded by a number of other bands, including Tempest, the Lords of the New Church, the Slickee Boys, the dB`s, and Dreamhouse.[9] Finnish singer Fredi released a Finnish-language version called "Onhan päivä vielä huomennakin" ("There`ll still be a day tomorrow", or "Leave it for tomorrow") in 1968.[10] Another Finnish version is by rock band Popeda in 2008, included on their album Täydelliset miehet (en: Perfect Men)[11] and also the same year on their single "Onhan päivä vielä huomennakin".[12] A version with different English lyrics was released in December 1966 by the Dutch band the Skope as "Be Mine Again".[13] This version reached number 36 on the Dutch Top 40 chart.[14] Chilean rock band Los Beat 4 recorded a Spanish-language version titled "Llora Conmigo", released in 1967.[15]

Uses in popular culture

The Grass Roots` recording of the song appears in the 1997 film Wild America[16] and on its accompanying soundtrack album.[17] A cover version by the Atomics appears in a 2017 TV commercial for H&M. The Grass Roots` version plays over the opening credits of the first season of Pachinko television series[8] and the closing credits of the 2023 film The Last Stop in Yuma County.

Personnel

Per 1972 reissue album liner notes[18] and the Songfacts website,[19] except when noted.

The Grass Roots

• Rob Grill – lead and backing vocals
• Warren Entner – co-lead and backing vocals, 12-string acoustic guitar[20]
• Creed Bratton – backing vocals, guitar
• Rick Coonce – backing vocals, possible drums, percussion

Other musicians

• P.F Sloan – lead guitar[1][20]
• Bobby Ray – bass guitar
• Hal Blaine – possible drums, percussion

Chart performance