If Today Was Your Last Day

"If Today Was Your Last Day" is the second major single (third overall) from Nickelback's sixth studio album Dark Horse. It was originally planned as the first single, to hit all U.S. radio formats September 30th, 2008, but was scrapped as the first single in favour of "Gotta Be Somebody." Instead it was released on March 31, 2009 as the second U.S. single, and it had been released as the third single in Canada from around November 2008. "I'd Come For You" is being released as the second single in Europe in place of "If Today Was Your Last Day", similar to All the Right Reasons when "Far Away" was released in Europe and "Savin' Me" was released in the US and Canada. It was produced by famed rock producer Mutt Lange, who produced the entire album. The song was originally released as a digital download in the U.S. on November 11, where it climbed to #11 on iTunes top selling songs in the U.S. The song was recently performed live for the very first time on May 22nd at the M.E.N Arena Manchester.

According to Roadrunner Records UK, the song is "dynamically swelling". The song has also apparently been around with Nickelback for a while, but had never been finished.

The lead vocalist/guitarist Chad Kroeger has mentioned the song as his personal favorite from Dark Horse. He had described the middle part of the song as "very motivational, and very positive".

"If Today Was Your Last Day" will be released in the UK on the 15th June. The song was track #18 on the compilation album, Now! 31.

Music video
The Music video was shot with director Nigel Dick in March 2009. Performance portions of the video were shot at the Qwest Center in Omaha, Nebraska. Music video premiered on 23 April. In the video directed by Nigel Dick, a businessman is captured giving away money to those whom he meets on the streets. Two women are also shown handing out jackets with a tag that reads "Do Whatever It Takes" on its back to people. The video certainly emphasizes the ongoing theme of live each day as if it was your last. Also included in the video is a man on the street appearing stressed by work, arguing on the phone with presumably his boss. After the message is shared, he then places his suitcase in the bin and takes off his work jacket, ready to live each day like it were his last. In addition, the song emphasizes that living each day as if it was your last, means live how you like to live, and not how others tell you to live.

Charts
On October 2008, "If Today Was Your Last Day" debuted at #35 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the U.S. based on downloads only. After its release as an official single, it re-entered the Hot 100 and has so far risen to #26. It also charted on on the Pop 100 debuting at #90 and has since risen to #34, peaked at #5 on the Hot Adult Top 40 Tracks, and also peaked at #32 on the Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. In Canada it debuted at #91 on the Canadian Hot 100 also based on just downloads, and after its physical release in Canada and receiving airplay it made a re-entry on the chart at #67 and would go on to reach #7. It also peaked at #5 on CHUM FM's CHUM Chart Top 30 countdown.