Mike & The Mechanics debuted with their stellar eponymous album in 1985 which highlighted Rutherford's innovative guitar work and the vocal talents of the two Pauls, amongst other guest vocalists. Initially, the group's albums were released between Genesis albums, all three Genesis members having solo projects of their own, most notable in the huge chart success of singer/drummer Phil Collins. This ended with the disbanding of Genesis in 1998.
The classic song "The Living Years" from the album of the same name was to be the height of their critical success to date; the #1 single was written by and about the dissension between singer BA Robertson and his father, a situation that was never rectified prior to his father's death, sung with great passion by Carrack. The album also featured the song "Nobody's Perfect" which received considerable airtime as the music to a successful television advertising campaign for Tennants bitter. Their third album "Word of Mouth" followed in 1991 with less commercial and critical success although the lead single, with vocals by Paul Young, reached the Top 20. The fourth album "Beggar On a Beach of Gold" was a high watermark in the quality of their material, with both the album and first single "Over My Shoulder" charting well with many considering the album the band's best work.
After a hiatus following Young's death from a heart attack on July 17, 2000, the band reformed in 2004 as Mike & the Mechanics featuring Paul Carrack releasing the album "Rewired".
A new Mike & the Mechanics album (titled "The Road") was released in the spring of 2011, supported by a 22-date UK tour. Replacing Carrack and Young as vocalists for the group are Andrew Roachford and Canadian actor/singer Tim Hower.
A Beggar On A Beach Of Gold
Mike & The Mechanics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Discontented feeling bad
Filled with envy
For possessions other people had
I found my pride had always hurt me
Fought the world to gain control
Not realising
Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
And I'm sitting on a beach of gold
The problems I encountered
Gave me strength helped me sustain
To know the pleasure
First I had to cure the pain
When I was searching for solutions
I found the answer lay in me
I'm a drifter
But I'm drifting on a silver sea
Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
And I'm sitting on a beach of gold
I didn't have courage
My life was as dark as night
When alone in the darkness
I saw the brightest light
Let the light shine down
Are you out there now on empty
Feel you've nothing left to give
Sick of trying
Have you lost the will to live?
Don't be drowning in the shallows
With the beach so near at hand
Hear the voice say
Stand up get up
And join me on the gilded sand
Come and join me on the beach
With all the riches I can hold
Cause I'm a beggar
And I'm sitting on a beach of gold
Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
I'm sitting on a beach of gold
My children my salvation
The father to this man
They're my teachers
Playing on the golden sand
With my family all around me
I've all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
Sitting on a beach of gold
Oh lord I'm a poor man
With all the riches I can hold
I'm a beggar
Sitting on a beach of gold
The song "A Beggar on a Beach of Gold" by Mike & The Mechanics speaks about finding contentment despite feeling discontented and envious of the possessions other people have. The lyrics explore the idea of how pride can hurt us and how we often fight to gain control without realizing that we may already have everything we need. The chorus repeats the line "Oh lord I'm a poor man, with all the riches I can hold, I'm a beggar, and I'm sitting on a beach of gold." The singer of the song is shifting his perspective and realizing the worth of the riches he already possesses.
The verses delve into the problems and pain that the singer has encountered, but how he has used them to gain strength and understanding. The song then hints at the idea of spirituality or finding the answer to life’s problems within oneself. The bridge encourages listeners who may feel like they are drowning in the shallows to hear the voice and stand up and join in on the gilded sand. Lastly, the song concludes with the joy found in family and children, realizing that they are the true riches in life.
Line by Line Meaning
I didn't know when I was lucky
I was unable to recognize when I was fortunate
Discontented feeling bad
Unhappy and dissatisfied with my life
Filled with envy
Feeling jealous of others
For possessions other people had
Being envious of the possessions owned by others
I found my pride had always hurt me
I realized that my pride was causing me harm
Fought the world to gain control
Struggled to gain power over everything around me
Not realizing
Unaware of the fact that
I was sitting on a beach of gold
I had greatness within me all along, but I failed to recognize it
Oh lord I'm a poor man
Although materially rich, I am spiritually poor
With all the riches I can hold
Despite having many material possessions, I feel unfulfilled
I'm a beggar
Even though I have many material possessions, I lack inner peace and fulfillment
The problems I encountered
The obstacles I faced in my life
Gave me strength helped me sustain
Made me stronger and enabled me to persevere
To know the pleasure
To experience joy and happiness
First I had to cure the pain
To achieve happiness, first I had to overcome my struggles and pain
When I was searching for solutions
When I was seeking a way out of my troubles
I found the answer lay in me
I discovered that the solution was within myself
I'm a drifter
I am constantly moving and searching for what will make me happy
But I'm drifting on a silver sea
Despite my wandering ways, I have found a sense of peace and fulfillment
Are you out there now on empty
Are you feeling drained and without hope
Feel you've nothing left to give
Believing that you have no more strength or energy left to give
Sick of trying
Feeling exhausted from putting in effort and not seeing results
Have you lost the will to live?
Are you struggling to find motivation and purpose in life?
Don't be drowning in the shallows
Don't let yourself be stuck in a superficial, negative mindset
With the beach so near at hand
Despite your struggles, happiness and fulfillment are within reach
Hear the voice say
Listen to the encouraging words
Stand up get up
Take action and make a change
And join me on the gilded sand
Come share in the abundance of life with me
Come and join me on the beach
Join me in finding happiness and fulfillment in life
Cause I'm a beggar
Despite my possessions, I am still seeking inner peace and fulfillment
My children my salvation
My children are my source of hope and redemption
The father to this man
I have found meaning and purpose through being a father
They're my teachers
My children have taught me many valuable lessons in life
Playing on the golden sand
My children bring me joy and happiness
With my family all around me
Being surrounded by loved ones brings me a sense of fulfillment
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: BRIAN ALEXANDER ROBERTSON, MICHAEL RUTHERFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@kaiploer3904
Danke Matthias. Es ist einer meiner Lieblingssongs von meiner Lieblingsband.
Ich vermisse Paul Young für seine Stimme und guten Texte.
Ich habe immer Gänsehaut bei dem Song.