McKee is the half-sister of Love guitarist Bryan MacLean, with whom she played in a duo as a teenager. In 1982 McKee was a founding member of the cowpunk/country rock band Lone Justice with whom she released two albums. Her band opened for such acts as U2.
She released her first solo, self-titled album in 1989. Her song "Show Me Heaven", which appeared on the soundtrack to the film Days of Thunder, was a number one single in the United Kingdom for four weeks in 1990. Later her eerie, country-tinged single, "If Love Is a Red Dress (Hang Me in Rags)" was released on the soundtrack of Pulp Fiction. (1994).
Her recorded output has varied between the rootsy country-folk of You Gotta Sin To Get Saved (1993) and Peddlin' Dreams (2005), and experimental rock on Life Is Sweet (1996) and High Dive (2003). She even made a foray into early-90s dance music with her "Sweetest Child" single.
Life Is Sweet was seen at the time as an artistic about-face from her country-rock sound, full of guitar feedback and complex, baroque songwriting. Confounding both fans and critics, it was her last release for seven years and her last for a major label.
In 2007 she released Late December, an album rooted in classic 60s pop songwriting.
She is the half-sister of Love guitarist/singer/songwriter Bryan Maclean, with whom she played in a duo as a teenager. In the nineties, she spent time living in Dublin and the East Village.
Everybody
Maria McKee Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We all lose somethin' to fill our cup
We all lose somethin' to steal it back
But it's not ours anymore
And it's fadin' fast
Chorus:
And everybody everybody
We've all been flirting
With the perfect day
When they think we're perfect
Yeah but who are they
A man is great he is made great
By what he loves
And we could love each other
But it's not enough
But everybody...
Chorus
Maybe tomorrow
Your turn
My turn
A man is great, he is made great
He is shot down
To read the book you're gonna have to look
In the lost and found
But everybody...
Chorus
Maybe tomorrow
Your turn
My turn
The song Everybody by Maria McKee is a commentary on the human experience and the ways in which everyone is connected. The lyrics speak to our shared struggles and moments of happiness, as well as the ways in which we all seek validation and recognition from others. The chorus, “And everybody everybody gets to be somebody sometime,” suggests that even though we may feel invisible or insignificant at times, we all have the potential to make an impact on the world in our own way.
The verses delve deeper into these themes, exploring the idea of losing and regaining things that are important to us. The lines “We all lose somethin' to fill our cup / We all lose somethin' to steal it back” suggest that we are all constantly searching for something to give us fulfillment, even if that means taking it from someone else. The verse “A man is great he is made great / By what he loves” speaks to the power of passion and love to inspire greatness within us, but also acknowledges that love alone is not enough to sustain us.
Overall, the message of the song is one of interconnectedness and the universality of the human experience. No matter who we are or where we come from, we all share certain emotions and desires. The melody and instrumentation of the song are subdued and contemplative, further emphasizing the introspective nature of the lyrics.
Line by Line Meaning
We've all been lucky, we all wake up
We have all been fortunate to wake up each day.
We all lose somethin' to fill our cup
Everyone experiences loss and tries to compensate for it in some way.
We all lose somethin' to steal it back
We might try to regain what we've lost, even if it's not possible or healthy.
But it's not ours anymore
Even if we try to reclaim what we've lost, it's no longer truly ours.
And it's fadin' fast
The opportunity to regain what we've lost or hold onto it is slipping away.
Chorus: And everybody everybody Gets to be somebody sometime
Everyone has the chance to be important or successful at some point in their life.
We've all been flirting With the perfect day
We all strive for a day when everything is perfect and goes our way.
When they think we're perfect Yeah but who are they
We try to impress others with our perfection, but we question who these people are and why their opinions matter.
A man is great he is made great By what he loves
A person's greatness is defined by what they are passionate about or deeply care for.
And we could love each other But it's not enough
Love is important, but it may not be enough to make a relationship work or solve all our problems.
But everybody...
Despite our differences, we are all struggling with similar challenges.
Chorus Maybe tomorrow Your turn My turn
Opportunities come and go, and we all have our turn at success or failure.
A man is great, he is made great He is shot down
Even great people face setbacks and failures in life.
To read the book you're gonna have to look In the lost and found
To find answers or understanding, we may need to search for it in unexpected places or experiences.
But everybody...
Regardless of our experiences, we are all part of the human struggle.
Chorus Maybe tomorrow Your turn My turn
Success and failure are a part of life and are experienced by everyone at some point.
Contributed by Lila P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
David McLintock
Incredible how totally unknown she has always been. At least I know, I have always loved her music.
Nightjar Nine
Fisrt!