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.
All the Light I Need
Mike & The Mechanics Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I read all the philosophies
The theory ideologies
They leave me cold I sit around at tables talking
Long into the night and when we're walking home
You take me by the hand
You say you understand
I know we've had our ups and downs
I play the fool I play the clown
Just like a man
I think it wouldn't be so bad
If only you believed I had some kind of plan
But as the evening fades
You say you're going to stay
And this is all the light I need
And these are all the clothes that keep me warm
You come to me and then
You love me once again
And this is all the light I need
When we found the going tough
You always seemed to have enough
To pull us through
Although I never mention it
I often wonder how I'd manage without you
You say that in the end
You'll always be my friend
And this is all the light I need
And these are all the clothes that keep me warm
You come to me and then
You love me once again
And this is all the light I need
You say that in the end
You'll always be my friend
And this is all the light I need
And these are all the clothes that keep me warm
You come to me and then
You love me once again
This is all the light I need
This is all the light I need
And these are all the clothes that keep me warm
This is all the light I need
And these are all the clothes that keep me warm
This is all the light I need
The lyrics of Mike & The Mechanics's song All the Light I Need reflect the regret and longing of a person who has just realized the depth of their love for someone and the mistakes they have made in the past. The song begins with the singer telling their loved one to go if they want, but admitting that they will miss them if they leave. They confess that they were never right, but can admit that they were never wrong either because they were indecisive and just went along with things. They treated their loved one like a child and now regret it, knowing that they will miss them forever.
As the song progresses, the singer admits that they never had time or reason to hurt their loved one but did so anyway, thinking they were being cool and strong. They realize that they took their loved one for granted, and it's only now they realize what they've lost. The song finishes with the singer saying that if they ever catch up with their loved one, they will love them for the rest of their life. All they need is a miracle, and that miracle is their loved one.
Overall, the lyrics of All the Light I Need are about realizing the true value of someone when it's too late to do anything about it. It's a story that many people can relate to, having been in a similar situation before. The song is a message to others to appreciate what they have before it's gone.
Line by Line Meaning
I said go if you want to go
I gave you the freedom to leave if that's what you wanted
Stay if you want to stay
I also gave you the option to stay if that's what you preferred
I didn't care if you hung around me
I wasn't particularly concerned if you chose to spend time with me or not
I didn't care if you went away
Equally, it didn't bother me if you decided to leave and not come back
And I know you were never right
I realize that you weren't perfect and you made mistakes
I'll admit I was never wrong
However, I acknowledge that I, too, made mistakes and was never infallible
I could never make up my mind
I struggled with indecision, and found it hard to commit to anything
I made it up as I went along
Therefore, I tended to improvise and make decisions on the fly
And though I treated you like a child
I must confess that I didn't always treat you as an equal, and sometimes patronized you
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
Despite all this, I realize that I've lost something valuable in your absence and will always regret it
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
I now understand that you were the one thing that could have transformed my life and made it better
(All I need is a miracle) all I need is a miracle, all I need is you
So, all I really needed was for you to be a part of my life, and bring your unique qualities and strengths to the table
I never had any time
I was always too busy or preoccupied to give you the attention you deserved
And I never had any call
I didn't feel like I had any obligation or responsibility to be there for you or support you
But I went out of my way just to hurt you
At times, I actively sought to cause you pain or suffering, which was wrong and unjustified
The one I shouldn't hurt at all
I realize that you were someone who deserved respect and compassion, and I failed to give you that
I thought I was being cool
At times, I felt like I was being trendy or fashionable by treating you poorly or neglecting you
Yeah, I thought I was being strong
Or, I thought I was exhibiting strength by not showing any emotion or attachment to you
But it's always the same old story
However, this is a pattern that has repeated itself throughout history, and it never ends well
You never know what you've got 'til it's gone
Only after you've lost something do you realize how much it meant to you, and how much you took it for granted
If I ever catch up with you
So, even now, I hold out hope that I might be able to reconnect with you someday
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
And if such a reunion is possible, I promise to cherish you and value you more than I ever have before
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Charlton Nu
Listening to this in 2018! This song should have been a hit!! Gives me goosebumps!! So glad that they are still around. Love the song! Would be great to have a video clip for it!
MrJoseppie123
Paul Carrick & Paul Young had 2 very different voices, but equally as good. RIP to Mr Young, your voice will live on, a true legend
Carlos Neves
What a masterpiece of music
JRoca79
Beautiful Romania..and one of my favorites songs.. "All the light I Need" is a wonderful song. Love the lyrics..the melody..tha band Mike and the Mechanics. Perfect video and music. 5/5 Thank you ;)
MrJoseppie123
Paul Carrack is truley an English legend & we should start to recognise that. Great song, well sung
clarkcsa
Paul Carrack is able to transport us through the beautiful melody of this song ... A journey in the memories ... faces ... people and places ... A feeling so good that it fills us and makes us believe that it is worth continuing .. .
🎶 All the light I need ... 🎶
Futa M
Paul's vocals, beautiful.
dlpine71
He made every group he was with that much better.
john doe
Just love this song the two Paul's carrack and young have to be two of the finest male singers ever RIP Paul young
Melody Mckinstrie
A man told me this song expressed his feelings. To understand him was to listen to the words and song. You don't know how much I want that to be true. If he lives by the words in this song he would be wonderful to me