Ten Favorite Rock Who-What-Why Questions: What Am I Living For (#10)

@FourWalls (61316)
United States
March 12, 2017 10:45am CST
What's that hillbilly up to this time? Why is she doing this? Who's gonna care? That's about it. It's time to look at some questions! No, I'm not going to answer them. It's a dual series: there are two lists of songs with who, what, or why questions in the title (one country and one rock), and two lists of songs with various questions in the title (again, one country and one rock). I'll alternate them so you don't have twenty country songs coming at you. I'm nice that way. Here's the first who/what/why question. #10: What Am I Living For - Chuck Willis Music is filled with ironies. There was the fiery cover of Street Survivors just before the plane crash that killed Lynyrd Skynyrd vocalist/songwriter Ronnie Van Zant and two other members of the band. The song on the charts when Hank Williams died was "I'll Never Get Out of This World Alive." Well, guess what Chuck Willis' last song was? And no, he did not commit suicide while this song was on the charts. Actually, "What Am I Living For" was originally the B-side of the single, but after Willis' death from complications of a bleeding ulcer and surgery to repair it, this song seemed a more fitting tribute to the man who gave us the dance craze known as "the stroll" and had a huge rock and R&B hit with "C.C. Rider." Man, what a song. A tender ballad that is 50s rock simplicity, but hardly "simple." Willis' delivery was steeped in honesty. It's terribly sad that he never got to see the fruits of this marvelous song. What Am I Living For Written by Fred Jay and Art Harris Recorded by Chuck Willis Released as a single, 1958 Nobody else, nobody else will do:
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@JohnRoberts (109865)
• Los Angeles, California
12 Mar 17
That is so 50s with the sax. He did I Feel So Bad which Elvis had a hit.
2 people like this
@amadeo (111956)
• United States
12 Mar 17
I keep telling myself this.What am i living for.Chuck Willis I can handle him.
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@teamfreak16 (43451)
• Denver, Colorado
12 Mar 17
I don't remember ever hearing this. Very soulful.
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