Your Life is Now

[graciemaxx]

First-time poster here.  I've always like John Mellencamp, but suddenly I've discovered his depth as an artist, activist and person.  I appreciate him so much more now.
I just can't stop playing this song, Your Life is Now.
What do you think the song is about?  To me, it seems to mean that one person can effect change in the world if they follow their heart instead of some old outdated notion/tradition, and thereby change many people's lives.  But then I watch the video.  Does the video have anything to do with the song?  I don't get it.

[Swell67]

This song comes from my equal fav cd/album 'John Mellencamp' , well worth buying as is the CD/album Cuttin' Heads.

[graciemaxx]

Oh, so I was reading something and John Mellencamp didn't even write the lyrics.  It was his childhood friend, George Green.  I thought it was some personal thing about John's life.  I still don't get the video, though.  I just love this version of the song.  And he rocks a mustache in this video! 

https://youtu.be/qno_ETlWJEk

[walktall2010]

I'm pretty sure that John and George wrote the lyrics to this song together. I don't think George wrote them all.

[MrSickboy50]

I'm 16 but "Your Life Is Now" is my favorite John Mellencamp song!! I've read books and paid close attention to the song. The song was mainly about his heart attack, since John had one and he knew many others who had them. He co-wrote it with his buddy George Green, incorporating John's typical blue-collar themes into the song. The song is literally a message saying, "Your life is now, do what you can before it ends" essentially.
I remember watching an interview on YouTube where John speaks about the music video. I can't recall what it was, but I'm sure it's still on there if you research it a little bit. From watching the video, I think the main girl in the video marries somebody and in the end she unexpectedly dies, though in the last second of the video she springs up back to life, hence why she gives a peace sign. I think the video just goes with the lyrics. It's a rather sad music video, but John's later work has been known to show the darker side of things, as he supports the common man and works towards peace and whatnot. I think the video is up to the viewer's interpretation.

[walktall2010]

Interesting side note: George Green had a heart attack just a few weeks after John had his, so they both had the same life perspective when writing the lyrics to this song.