What a Way to Live

For the Willie Nelson song, see What a Way to Live (song).

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Allmusic

What a Way to Live is the fifth studio album released by American country music artist Mark Chesnutt. His first album for Decca Records, it earned RIAA gold certification in the United States for sales of 500,000 copies. The tracks "She Dreams", "Goin' Through the Big D", "Gonna Get a Life", and "Down in Tennessee" were all released as singles, peaking at #6, #2, #1, and #23, respectively, on the Billboard Hot Country Songs charts. "She Dreams" was co-written and originally recorded by Tim Mensy on his 1992 album This Ol' Heart, from which it was released as a single, peaking at #74 on the country charts that year. Mark duets with Waylon Jennings on the track "Rainy Day Woman" which Jennings first recorded on his 1974 album The Ramblin' Man.

Track listing

1. "What a Way to Live" (Willie Nelson, Hank Craig) - 2:40
2. "Live a Little" (Roger Springer, Tony Martin) - 2:46
3. "She Dreams" (Tim Mensy, Gary Harrison) - 3:43
4. "Goin' Through the Big D" (Mark Wright, Ronnie Rogers, John Wright) - 2:34
5. "Down in Tennessee" (Wayland Holyfield) - 3:21
6. "Gonna Get a Life" (Frank Dycus, Jim Lauderdale) - 3:43
7. "It's Almost Like You're Here" (Charles Quillen, John Priestley, Jonathan Clift) - 3:34
8. "Rainy Day Woman" (Waylon Jennings) - 3:51
   • Duet with Waylon Jennings
9. "This Side of the Door" (Mensy, Shawn Camp) - 3:23
10. "Half of Everything (And All of My Heart)" (David Lott, Glenn Gordon, Chesnutt) - 3:50

Musicians

• Brent Rowan - electric guitar
• Tim Broussard - Squeezebox
• Mark Chesnutt - lead vocals
• Glen Duncan - fiddle, mandolin
• Pat Flynn - acoustic guitar
• Paul Franklin - steel guitar
• Owen Hale - drums
• Rob Hajacos - fiddle
• Roy Huskey, Jr. - upright bass
• Paul Leim - drums
• B. James Lowry - acoustic guitar
• Tim Mensy - acoustic guitar
• Steve Nathan - keyboards
• Russ Pahl - steel guitar
• Matt Rollings - keyboards
• Biff Watson - acoustic guitar
• Bob Wray - bass guitar

Background Vocals: Curtis "Mr. Harmony" Young, John Wesley Ryles, Bergen White, Jana King, Lisa Silver, Dennis Wilson, Cindy Walker, Tom Flora, Chris Harris, Matt Kaminski, Ann Wright, Kim Rogers.

Strings by the Nashville String Machine, conducted by Carl Gorodetzky and arranged by Bergen White.

Production

Recording Engineers

• Warren Peterson
• Robert Charles
• King Williams
• Larry Jeffries

Mixers

• Lynn Peterzell
• Mark Hagen
• Mark Friego

Master Editor

• Glenn Meadows

Production Coordinator

• Joe Johnston

Art Direction/Design

• Simon Levy

Photography

• Keith Carter

Hair & Make-up

• Lucy Santamassino

Chart performance

Chart (1994)	Peak position
U.S. Billboard Top Country Albums	15
U.S. Billboard 200	98