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Live by the Sword Lyrics by The Rolling Stones

Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)

2023

[Verse 1]
If you live by the sword, gonna die by the sword
If you live by the gun, you gonna die by the gun
If you live for the knife, well, you’re gonna get stabbed
Run into the law, well, you’re gonna get nabbed
If you live for revenge, gonna feel the backlash
If you live to be cruel, gonna bite you in the ass
[Chorus]
I’m gonna treat you right
I’m gonna treat you good
[Verse 2]
If you wanna get rich, better sit on the board
If you wanna be poor, better pay the landlord
If you’re deep in the crime, well, you’re deep in the slime
If you’re living a lie, look me straight in the eye
If you’re locked in the jail, well, you better get free
If you’re looking for love, don’t go running to me
[Chorus]
I’m gonna treat you right
I’m gonna treat you good
[Bridge]
It’s too late to say you’re sorry, sorry, sorry
And soon it will be gone, gone, gone, gone, gone
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
If you live like a whore, better be hardcore
If you live by the clock, well, you’re in for a shock
If you’re living for food, better lick up your plate
If you wanna be in fashion, well, you’ll be out of date
[Chorus]
I’m gonna treat you right
I’m gonna treat you good
I’m gonna treat you right
I’m gonna treat you good
[Outro]
Oh, if you live by the sword, oh yeah
Get shot up, you better call 911
And then you better hang out until the ambulance comes
If you live by the sword
Gonna die by the sword, oh yeah
If you die by the sword
If you live by the gun
If you live by the gun
If you live by the gun, gonna die by the gun
Oh yeah
Oh yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Oh yeah-yeah-yeah-yeah
Credits
The Rolling Stones

The Rolling Stones

About “Live by the Sword” by The Rolling Stones

Read the complete lyrics to "Live by the Sword" by The Rolling Stones from the album "Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)" in 2023. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Rock, Blues Rock, Hard Rock.

"Live by the Sword" is performed by The Rolling Stones. from the album "Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)" in 2023 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "Live by the Sword", explore more songs by The Rolling Stones using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"Live by the Sword" is credited to The Rolling Stones. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Live by the Sword" appears on "Hackney Diamonds (Live Edition)" in 2023.

Visit the The Rolling Stones artist page at /artist/the-rolling-stones for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.