▁March ▁ 1 2 , ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁It ▁was ▁revealed ▁that ▁he ▁had ▁cancer . ▁He ▁was ▁given ▁three ▁weeks ▁to ▁live ▁by ▁the ▁do ctors , ▁but ▁surprising ly ▁surv ived ▁nine ▁months . ▁He ▁died ▁on ▁January ▁ 5 , ▁ 2 0 0 4 . ▁ ▁Background ▁The ▁song ▁was ▁written ▁by ▁Tim ▁Nich ols ▁and ▁Craig ▁Wis eman . ▁The ▁du o ▁had ▁a ▁friend ▁who ▁received ▁a ▁medical ▁mis di agn osis ▁regarding ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁lung ▁cancer . ▁Wis eman ▁and ▁Nich ols ▁began ▁discuss ing ▁family ▁members ▁and ▁friends ▁who ▁learned ▁of ▁ill ness es , ▁and ▁how ▁they ▁often ▁had ▁a ▁new ▁perspective ▁on ▁life ▁upon ▁learning ▁they ▁had ▁limited ▁time . ▁They ▁decided ▁to ▁write ▁a ▁song ▁based ▁on ▁the ▁concept , ▁hoping ▁that ▁it ▁might ▁insp ire ▁someone ▁in ▁such ▁a ▁situation . ▁After ▁they ▁came ▁up ▁with ▁the ▁title , ▁they ▁began ▁writing ▁the ▁first ▁verse ▁and ▁ch orus . ▁They ▁found ▁themselves ▁attached ▁to ▁the ▁song , ▁and ▁continued ▁to ▁write ▁in ▁late ▁into ▁the ▁night ▁over ▁the ▁phone . ▁" I ▁remember ▁going ▁in ▁my ▁totally ▁dark ▁living ▁room , ▁lay ing ▁on ▁the ▁floor , ▁and ▁we ▁wrote ▁the ▁second ▁verse ▁on ▁the ▁phone ," ▁Wis eman ▁re called . ▁The ▁inclusion ▁of ▁the ▁ly ric ▁about ▁r iding ▁a ▁b ull ▁was ▁intended ▁as ▁a ▁sort ▁of ▁" p alette ▁clean se ," ▁as ▁they ▁felt ▁the ▁ch orus ▁was ▁growing ▁too ▁sentiment al