All Our Lives
Andrew McMahon in the Wilderness Lyrics

I saw this old friend at the Eveleigh bar
The singer ran into an old friend at the bar named Eveleigh.

Life hadn’t treated him so well
The singer's friend's life hasn't been easy.

A heart so gold, and words so blue
Despite his hardships, the singer's friend has a good heart and a sad demeanor.

In a body home from hell
The artist's friend has gone through a lot and it shows in his body language.

He said, “If I could tell you one thing, I would tell you this:
The artist's friend has some advice to share.

There’s only one mistake that I have made
The friend admits to one mistake he's made in his life.

It’s giving up the music in my fingertips
The friend has stopped playing music.

By trying to get to heaven through my veins.”
The friend has turned to drugs to find happiness instead of music.

I saw this woman with tears in her eyes
The artist saw a woman crying while driving.

Driving beside me yesterday
The woman was driving next to the artist.

She turned her head, then I turned mine
The woman looked at the singer, and he looked back.

And I watched her drive away
The woman left while the artist watched.

I thought, if I could tell her something, I would tell her this
The singer has some advice he wants to share with the woman.

There’s only two mistakes that I have made
The singer admits to making two mistakes in his life.

It’s running from the people who could love me best
The singer has avoided people who could love him.

And trying to fix a world that I can’t change
The artist has tried to change things that he couldn't.

I remember being young and staring at my hands
The artist remembers a time when he was young and reflective.

In the middle of the night, the first light of the morning
It was a specific time of day when the singer was alone with his thoughts.

My room like a church, voices down the hall
The singer's room was quiet like a church, but there were sounds in the distance.

I barely made 'em out, but sometimes you don’t want to know
The artist couldn't understand the voices in the distance and sometimes it's better not to know.

Now that I’m older, I can tell you this
The artist has grown wiser with age.

The mornings I miss, but I don’t really miss the voices
The artist misses the peaceful mornings but not the distant voices.

You’ve got a choice, I’ve got the hands
The singer reminds himself that he has a choice in life.

Skeletons and plans, you’ve got to let 'em go
The artist advises to let go of the past and future.