Every Day Is A Miracle
David Byrne Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

The rose is pruned to a perfect shape
Perfect for whom, I wonder
The chicken thinks in mysterious ways
But beauty is not what we're after

Now the chicken imagines a heaven
Full of roosters and plenty of corn
And God is a very old rooster
And eggs are like Jesus, his son

Every day is miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

Cockroach might eat Mona Lisa
The Pope don't mean shit to a dog
And elephants don't read newspapers
And the kiss of a chicken is hot

The brain of a chicken
And the dick of a donkey
A pig in a blanket
And that's why you want me

What does it feel like
To be your tongue?
Moving around in your mouth
To be free in the forest of your love
A cockroach in the cosmos of your house

Every day is miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

I'm a blond, a brunette and a redhead
I thought up the birds and the bees
My software is famous all over
My money is growing on trees

The mind is a soft boiled potato
A jewel in a chocolate shell
I staple my love to your heart, dear
With memories and beautiful smells

Every day is miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

Every day is miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill




You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

Overall Meaning

David Byrne's song "Every Day Is A Miracle" explores the fascinating, mysterious and often paradoxical nature of life itself. In the first verse, Byrne muses about the way we manipulate nature to suit our own aesthetic standards, questioning whose idea of "perfection" is really being served. He then introduces the perspective of a chicken, a creature whose thoughts might seem incomprehensible to us, but whose ability to imagine something beyond its present reality is fascinating. Byrne imagines a surreal version of heaven where God is a rooster and eggs represent Jesus.


In the chorus, Byrne makes a profound statement about the nature of existence: every day is both miraculous and yet also burdensome, since it requires energy and effort just to survive. We must "sing for our supper" and love one another, suggesting that these small efforts are what make life not just bearable, but meaningful. The second verse takes a playful turn, celebrating the weird and unpredictable aspects of life: cockroaches might eat the Mona Lisa, and the Pope might be nothing to a dog, but these strange and unpredictable details are what make life interesting. Byrne finishes by reflecting on the strange, beautiful, and sometimes confusing experience of being alive, imagining himself as a composite of different hair colors and thinking up the whole concept of the birds and the bees.


Interestingly, the song doesn't have a clear story or cohesive message but rather reflects on the weird, curious and unusual aspects of life itself. It is filled with fantastic imagery and wordplay that invites the listener to explore the mysteries of the world around us.


Line by Line Meaning

The rose is pruned to a perfect shape
Beauty is subjective, so who is the 'perfect shape' for?


Perfect for whom, I wonder
The singer is questioning who decides what is considered beautiful.


The chicken thinks in mysterious ways
Animals have their own ways of thinking and perceiving the world.


But beauty is not what we're after
Beauty is not the most important thing in life.


Now the chicken imagines a heaven
Even animals can have their own beliefs and ideas of what happens after life.


Full of roosters and plenty of corn
The chicken's version of paradise involves its own desires and needs.


And God is a very old rooster
The chicken's imagined God takes the form of its own species.


And eggs are like Jesus, his son
The chicken's religious beliefs include its own eggs in their mythology.


Every day is miracle
Life itself is a miracle that we should appreciate every day.


Every day is an unpaid bill
We must constantly work to make the most of the time we have and not take it for granted.


You've got to sing for your supper
We must work hard to earn our livelihoods and appreciate what we have.


Love one another
We should value and show love to each other as fellow humans.


Cockroach might eat Mona Lisa
Even the most treasured and precious things can be destroyed by something unexpected.


The Pope don't mean shit to a dog
Some things that are important to humans have no value to animals.


And elephants don't read newspapers
Animals have no concept of human news and information.


And the kiss of a chicken is hot
Even something that may seem insignificant can have value to someone else.


The brain of a chicken
Even animals have a mind and a way of thinking.


And the dick of a donkey
Animals have physical traits and characteristics that make them unique.


A pig in a blanket
The singer is using a food metaphor to describe their own identity.


And that's why you want me
The artist's unique qualities make them desirable to someone else.


What does it feel like
The artist is curious about someone else's experience.


To be your tongue?
The artist is wondering what it would be like to feel everything someone's tongue experiences.


Moving around in your mouth
The singer is curious about the physical sensation of being someone's tongue.


To be free in the forest of your love
The artist feels liberated and carefree being with someone they love.


A cockroach in the cosmos of your house
The singer sees themselves as insignificant in the grand scheme of someone else's life.


I'm a blond, a brunette and a redhead
The singer is describing different aspects of their own identity.


I thought up the birds and the bees
The singer is taking credit for creating the concept of sex education.


My software is famous all over
The artist is proud of their achievements and recognition in the technology industry.


My money is growing on trees
The artist is very wealthy and successful.


The mind is a soft boiled potato
The singer is suggesting that people's minds are not as complex as we think they are.


A jewel in a chocolate shell
The singer is using a food metaphor to describe people's inner beauty.


I staple my love to your heart, dear
The artist is expressing their deep love and commitment to someone else.


With memories and beautiful smells
The artist associates love with powerful sensory experiences.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: David Byrne, Brian Peter George Eno, BRIAN ENO

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

צחי דברת

[Verse 1]
The rose is pruned to a perfect shape
Perfect for whom, I wonder
The chicken thinks in mysterious ways
But beauty is not what we're after

Now the chicken imagines a heaven
Full of roosters and plenty of corn
And God is a very old rooster
And eggs are like Jesus, his son

[Chorus]
Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

[Verse 2]
Cockroach might eat Mona Lisa
The pope don't mean shit to a dog
And elephants don't read newspapers
And the kiss of a chicken is hot

The brain of a chicken
And the dick of a donkey
A pig in a blanket
And that's why you want me


What does it feel like
To be your tongue
Moving around in your mouth
To be free in the forest of your love
A cockroach in the cosmos of your house

[Chorus]
Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

I'm a blond, a brunette and a redhead
I thought up the birds and the bees
My software is famous all over
My money is crawling on trees

The mind is a soft boiled potato
A jewel in a chocolate shell
I staple my love to your heart dear
With memories and beautiful smells

Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another


Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another



All comments from YouTube:

TRACY BARRY

Damn I love this mans mind and what it produces, pure genius 🎶💔🥰

TRACY BARRY

Been grooving to this genius for decades , his music just makes me wanna dance👍😜🧡

Debbi Nelson

I love Every Day is a Miracle! David, you have pulled me up out of the depths of depression so many times over the past 30 years or so! I am only bummed that I can't afford the tickets to see you at Red Rocks this summer. We were able to go last time you were there and, as ever, you were wonderful--rolling around the stage in a chair wearing at tutu!! You are the best!!

Michael Mandel

a masterpiece by a true master, speaking beyond the words.

צחי דברת

[Verse 1]
The rose is pruned to a perfect shape
Perfect for whom, I wonder
The chicken thinks in mysterious ways
But beauty is not what we're after

Now the chicken imagines a heaven
Full of roosters and plenty of corn
And God is a very old rooster
And eggs are like Jesus, his son

[Chorus]
Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

[Verse 2]
Cockroach might eat Mona Lisa
The pope don't mean shit to a dog
And elephants don't read newspapers
And the kiss of a chicken is hot

The brain of a chicken
And the dick of a donkey
A pig in a blanket
And that's why you want me


What does it feel like
To be your tongue
Moving around in your mouth
To be free in the forest of your love
A cockroach in the cosmos of your house

[Chorus]
Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

I'm a blond, a brunette and a redhead
I thought up the birds and the bees
My software is famous all over
My money is crawling on trees

The mind is a soft boiled potato
A jewel in a chocolate shell
I staple my love to your heart dear
With memories and beautiful smells

Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another


Every day is a miracle
Every day is an unpaid bill
You've got to sing for your supper
Love one another

nancy hamilton

It is about life and people.. How we are and perceptions.. Every day is a miracle.. But then a miracle for whom..

1 More Replies...

africlubguy

Hope the whole album has this vibe—this is excellent!

Pierluigi Razza

"the chicken thinks in mysterious ways" is wonderful! Thank you so much Mr. David Byrne, a real genius! :-D

Babs 66

It was the yodelling in the 1st set of live shows that really sets David as a fantastic singer. I think you should make a live album with those fantastic drums. Of course Angie and Bobbie and karl are brill aswell!

summyb

Me love. This is so what I love about David Byrne. Thank you. I stumbled upon this tonight as I binge watched Talking Heads videos. Now I'm binge listening to you, dear David. ❤️

More Comments

More Versions