Born into a working-class family of Lebanese and Italian heritage in Buffalo, New York, Scibilia left town a month after graduating high school, moving away from the Northeast and resettling in East Nashville. His school guidance counselor had unknowingly set those wheels in motion several years earlier, when she sat down with Scibilia to talk about his future. Frustrated with his lack of conventional plans after graduation, she sarcastically asked him, “What are you going to do? Go to Nashville and write songs?” To the budding musician, that question sounded like a great idea; giving Scibilia the extra motivation he needed to head south. At 18 years old, he became one of the first members of his family — a family that includes several part-time musicians — to leave the Buffalo area.
Nashville — a town rooted not only in country music, but pop, rock, and dance, too — has become an appropriate home base for Scibilia’s music. He doesn’t limit his songwriting to one genre. Instead, he writes songs that spread themselves wide, mixing pop hooks, rock & roll energy, and dark storytelling into the same pot. Taking cues from the artists he grew up with — including the Beastie Boys, Lauryn Hill, and Bob Dylan — he sings about the greatness of ordinary life, filling his songs with regular characters who resembled Scibilia, his family, and his friends. He tours heavily, too, opening for everyone from James Bay to the Zac Brown Band. Every night, the audiences are different but they all respond to Scibilia’s music.
Eventually, his growing success earned him a record deal with Capitol/IRS Records. With Butch Walker serving as his producer, he recorded Out of Style, a major-label debut album whose title hinted at the music’s broad, multi-genre appeal. “I wanted it to feel like a mix-tape,” Scibilia explains, and he succeeded, creating an album that seemed poised to create just as much buzz as his cover of the Woody Guthrie song “This Land Is Your Land,” which had appeared in the most Shazam-ed commercial of Super Bowl 2015. Then, one week after the album’s release, the label closed and Scibilia was on his own once again.
Fortunately, Scibilia had always thrived on independence. Wholly in charge of his career once again, he began making new music at his own studio, embracing the freedom to record and release songs whenever he wanted. There was nothing standing in his way: no boardroom meetings in Nashville skyscrapers, no focus groups, no record executives weighing in on his marketability. Even better, Scibilia’s fans were just as supportive as ever, turning his cover of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over)” — recorded as a duet with fellow songwriter and Nashville TV star Lennon Stella — into a viral smash. Released during the 2016 holiday season, the song racked up more than a million Spotify streams during the week before Christmas.
Scibilia kicked off 2017 with another viral hit, “Summer Clothes,” a nostalgic single. “I was 18 when I moved from Buffalo to Nashville,” he reflects, “and my dad would call me once a week and end every conversation with, ‘One more time, what’s your address?’ But he would never send me any mail. The song is a little bit about my hometown, my family, but mostly just someone looking for an excuse to call someone they miss.” Scibilia released the song as a double-sided single: the first featuring synthesizers, acoustic guitars, and drum loops, and the second fueled by a stripped-down combination of vocals and unplugged guitars. Then, while the song gathered steam on the Spotify and iTunes charts, Scibilia did what he’s always done—continued writing and creating from his life experiences out on the road and at home in East Nashville.
How Bad We Need Each Other
Marc Scibilia Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You can't do it on your own
It's like bare hands digging through stone
And if things go down much steeper hills
Even money won't pay these bills
And time will show, show, show
That people gonna be OK
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
And the trials of today
They are signs along the way
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
You know I can get so high on myself sometimes
I keep on drifting a million miles from this planet
But what a shame it would be to look back on our life
And realize that I've taken you and me for granted
Not gonna do it now
People gonna be OK
Storms never come to stay
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
And the trials of today
They are signs along the way
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
And I cannot see what's a mile around the bend
I don't know where this world is headed
Or where it may end
But you gave me this smile
And so I threw away my frown
And I ain't gonna pick up
Something if I just put down
People gonna be OK
Storms never come to stay
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
And the trials of today
They are signs along the way
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
People gonna be OK
Storms never come to stay
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
And the trials of today
They are signs along the way
How bad we need each other
How bad we need each other
The lyrics of Marc Scibilia's "How Bad We Need Each Other" delve into the importance of human connection and the necessity for individuals to rely on each other to navigate through tough times in life. The song highlights the fact that life is too difficult to face alone and that challenges are inevitable. It emphasizes the importance of the people in our lives and how they can help provide us with the support we need.
The first verse of the song paints a picture of how difficult life can be when faced alone. The metaphor of bare hands digging through stone symbolizes the struggle that one can experience when dealing with life's challenges. The second verse captures the human tendency to become self-absorbed and not realizing the importance of others in our lives. The chorus repeats the phrase "how bad we need each other" and highlights the fact that the people in our lives are vital to our survival.
The bridge of the song brings in a sense of optimism, signaling that despite the uncertainties of the future, the connection we share with others gives us a reason to smile and look forward to what lies ahead. In essence, the song is a call to action, an invitation to appreciate those around us and to lean on them when times get tough.
Overall, "How Bad We Need Each Other" reminds us of the power of human connection and how we all need others to survive and thrive.
Line by Line Meaning
Life is too far to walk alone
Life is challenging to go through alone, and we need companionship to support us along the way.
You can't do it on your own
We can't handle everything without the help of others in our lives.
It's like bare hands digging through stone
Trying to navigate life alone is an arduous and almost impossible task, similar to trying to dig through solid rock with just our bare hands.
And if things go down much steeper hills
When things get even more difficult than we anticipated, we need the support of others even more.
Even money won't pay these bills
Money is not enough to solve all of our problems, especially when it comes to emotional and mental struggles.
And time will show, show, show
Over time, we will see the value of the relationships we have in our lives and how important they are for our well-being.
That people gonna be OK
We have the strength to overcome difficulties and make it through tough times.
Storms never come to stay
Challenges and difficult times will eventually pass, and brighter days are ahead.
How bad we need each other
We rely on the support and companionship of others to get us through life's ups and downs.
You know I can get so high on myself sometimes
It's easy to become full of ourselves and forget about the importance of our relationships with others.
I keep on drifting a million miles from this planet
Sometimes we feel disconnected from the people around us, as if we are on a different planet altogether.
But what a shame it would be to look back on our life
If we don't prioritize relationships and companionship, we may regret it in the future.
And realize that I've taken you and me for granted
We may not realize the value of the people in our lives until it's too late and we have taken them for granted.
Not gonna do it now
We can choose to prioritize and value our relationships with others, starting right now.
And I cannot see what's a mile around the bend
It's impossible to know what the future holds, and we need the support of others to navigate it together.
I don't know where this world is headed
The future is uncertain, but having companionship and support can make it easier to face.
Or where it may end
The future is unknown, and we may not know how everything will ultimately turn out.
But you gave me this smile
The love and companionship of others can brighten our lives and make even the toughest times more bearable.
And so I threw away my frown
The support of others can help us let go of negative emotions and find joy in life.
And I ain't gonna pick up
We can choose not to dwell on negativity and instead focus on nurturing our relationships and well-being.
Something if I just put down
We can choose to let go of grudges or negative attitudes and focus on building positive connections with others.
And the trials of today
The challenges we face in the present can serve as lessons and make us stronger.
They are signs along the way
Difficulties in life can guide us on our journey and help us grow.
How bad we need each other
We rely on the love and support of others to face life's challenges and find joy and fulfillment.
How bad we need each other
The support of others is essential to our well-being and happiness.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARC SCIBILIA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Cat Adair
This song has been on a loop for the last two weeks. It has helped me with the suicide of a friend, critical illnesses with a few , major life changes to all around me. It has been a mantra for me, so I can show up, to be helpful and generous of my time and to be present with others. What a gift! Thanks.
OurVinyl
So glad that this song has been a help to you, sending our love your way <3
Kelli Maynard
I lost my husband to cancer and we used to listen to this together! I miss him so much and find comfort in this song!
loveit
Im sorry for your losss hon
Agata Sepioło
Kelli Maynard I’ll pray for you 🙏🏾
OurVinyl
So sorry incredibly for your loss. It is so amazing how music can do so much for us
masani Caroline
We really need each other very bad...Ain't no one can survive in this cruel world all by themselves 🙌🏻
OurVinyl
masani Caroline we couldn’t agree more thank you for the comment!
Donna Kramer
Has he made any other songs? I absolutely love this song. It centres me and hits home on so many levels. And just a deep, soulful voice. Love him!!!!
OurVinyl
Glad you enjoyed it!
Another OurVinyl performance by Marc Scibilia —> https://youtu.be/9T_v7KHNfyk