“For Your Life” criticizes the use of drugs, most notably cocaine, which is directly referenced in the lyrics. It was inspired by a female friend of Plant who had ruined her life by abusing drugs.

The track is quite venomous towards the subject, featuring audible snorting towards the second half of the track—this was due to Plant’s observations of the “excessive amount of cocaine which had now pervaded and ruined the music scene” in Los Angeles, as he had stayed there prior to recording.

Like most of the other tracks on Presence, Plant sung from a wheelchair, as a car accident left him unable to walk, and he feared he would never walk again.

Jimmy Page noted on the spontaneous nature of the song in an interview, claiming it was made up in the studio, right on the spot.