Everybody is made of clay
That's what they used to say, till
Truth stepped on us all, now
Everything that was big is small, just

We're just little crying robots
Program me I wanna win the race, I wanna find the place
Where the king locked up the princess
Jump the fence and drink a little bit of

Red wine, mistakes, apologies
And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology
Red wine, mistakes, apologies
And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology

Now who is the king of the sky?
Jupiter says oh me, oh my, oh why?
His name always changing
I've been through some strangeness

What's the matter
Is the feast not fat enough?
Up the ladder with your feet
Reaching with your hands

You can feel it and dream it
I know you want to believe it
Just steal it
Take a piece of the sun and drink some

Red wine, mistakes, apologies
And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology
And it's all red wine, mistakes, apologies
(And it's all) red wine, headaches, mythology

Everybody's in the play
At least that's what the script told me to say
I'd say, shadows cut across the hero's face
He falls from grace until a little bird sang

The truth is never ending
We're just here pretending
Let's all laugh so that we don't cry
Let's all lift our glasses up to the sky for some

Red wine, mistakes, apologies
And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology
Red wine, mistakes, apologies
And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology

Overall Meaning

The first stanza of Jack Johnson’s song, “Red Wine Mistakes Mythology,” provides a commentary on human fallibility. He argues that people are not perfect, and they make mistakes as they navigate their lives. The line, “everybody is made of clay,” is a reference to the Bible story in which God created Adam out of clay. Johnson is suggesting that just as Adam was fallible, so is everyone. The next line, “That's what they used to say, till truth stepped on us all,” indicates that the truth is that everyone makes mistakes.

The last lines, “We're just little crying robots/Program me I wanna win the race, I wanna find the place/Where the king locked up the princess/Jump the fence and drink a little bit of red wine,” are a metaphor for human existence. People are like robots, programmed to achieve goals and accomplish tasks. These goals often have no inherent value but are merely constructed by society. The King represents societal rules and regulations that restrict human existence, while the Princess represents freedom. The fence represents the restrictions that humans must overcome to achieve freedom. Red wine serves as the remedy for the pain of existence.

In the third stanza, Johnson asks who is the king of the sky. This is a reference to Greek mythology. Jupiter was the king of the gods in Roman mythology. Johnson is comparing the king who restricts human existence to Jupiter, who was responsible for creating lightning in the sky. He questions the king's identity, saying that the name always changes, and he himself has gone through "some strangeness."

Line by Line Meaning

Everybody is made of clay
We are all human and flawed, just like clay.

That's what they used to say, till
People used to see us as merely imperfect.

Truth stepped on us all, now
We have faced harsh realities and know the truth that we are vulnerable.

Everything that was big is small, just
All major things transform into trivial ones at some point in time.

We're just little crying robots
We are like robots programmed to react negatively to certain situations.

Program me I wanna win the race, I wanna find the place
I want to be so prepared that I can compete and succeed in the world.

Where the king locked up the princess
I want to break conventions and explore things that others may find mysterious.

Jump the fence and drink a little bit of
Let's transgress and have a little fun by indulging in

Red wine, mistakes, apologies
We often make mistakes when we drink red wine, and have to apologize later.

And it's all just red wine, headaches, mythology
We use mythology to explain the problems we encounter after drinking red wine.

Now who is the king of the sky?
Let's question and challenge the stories and myths we have heard.

Jupiter says oh me, oh my, oh why?
Even mythological gods can feel perplexed and unsure.

His name always changing
Even the gods can't settle on just one name or identity.

I've been through some strangeness
The world we live in can be strange and confusing.

What's the matter
What's troubling you?

Is the feast not fat enough?
Are you not satisfied?

Up the ladder with your feet
Keep climbing and working hard to achieve what you want.

Reaching with your hands
Stretch yourself as much as you can, don't give up.

You can feel it and dream it
You have an idea in your mind that you can materialize.

I know you want to believe it
Your desire to achieve it is so strong it pushes you to believe and have faith.

Just steal it
Go for it, take what is yours.

Take a piece of the sun and drink some
Take a piece of something so grand and powerful and enjoy it.

Everybody's in the play
We are all actors in the drama that is life.

At least that's what the script told me to say
We often adhere to societal norms and scripts to fit in.

I'd say, shadows cut across the hero's face
We come across obstacles, which test us and can shake our confidence.

He falls from grace until a little bird sang
Despite experiencing setbacks, we have the opportunity to appreciate the beauty of life and find solace.

The truth is never ending
The truth may be unwavering.

We're just here pretending
We pretend to be something that we are not.

Let's all laugh so that we don't cry
Let's choose to enjoy life and laugh, rather than despairing and crying.

Let's all lift our glasses up to the sky for some
Let's celebrate and enjoy

Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, Bubble Toes Publishing, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Zachary Dylan Gill, Jack Johnson, Adam Topol, Merlo Podlewski

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it