One hails from St. Louis, has a band, and has been quietly and steadily building a fervent following across the country, stepping outside his role as one of Jimmy Buffett's Coral Reefers to front his own band, The Peter Mayer Group. Melding a unique and eclectic writing style, a distinctive voice, and virtuoso musicianship, Peter and his band create compelling and accessible music that is electrifying in live performance.
The other is a folk singer and hails from Stillwater, MN. This Peter writes songs for a small planet—songs about interconnectedness and the human journey; about the beauty and the mystery of the world. Whimsical, humorous, and profound, his music breaks the boundaries of "folk" and transcends to a realm beyond the everyday love song, to a place of wonder at the very heart of life itself.
This second Peter began playing the guitar and writing songs when he was in high school. He studied theology and music in college and then spent two years in seminary. After deciding that the priesthood wasn't for him, he took a part-time job as a church music director for eight years, while performing at clubs and colleges and writing and recording his music. In 1995, he quit his job and started touring full-time. Since then, Peter has gradually gained a dedicated, word-of-mouth following, selling out shows from Minnesota to Texas, New England to California. He has eight CDs to his credit, and has sold over 50,000 of them independently.
All the Tea in China
Peter Mayer Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
From Mexico to Carolina
He said leave your life behind and follow me
There'll be enough to satisfy you
Diamonds for your hands
And silk beneath your feet
Not a care will come to find you
Kings and Queens will surely be your company
If you find no friends are near
Just hold your treasures dear
Everything you could ever need
Who needs love when all you find is
Fallen tears and petty crimes
Break your heart and let it bleed
With diamonds on your hands
And silk beneath your feet
Tomorrow's fortune will remind you
You've given up your love for one more guarantee
You'll have all the tea in China
All the rain in Spain
All the smoke in California
If you find no friends are near
Just hold your treasures dear
Everything you could ever need
Who needs love when all you find is
Fallen tears and petty crimes
Break your heart and let it bleed
With diamonds on your hands
And silk beneath your feet
Tomorrow's fortune will remind you
You've given up your love for one more guarantee
You'll have all the tea in China
All the rain in Spain
And all the tea in China
All the smoke in California
All the tea in China
The song "All the Tea in China" tells the story of a man who owns land from Mexico to Carolina and offers others a life of luxury in exchange for leaving everything else behind. He promises all the material things one could desire, including diamonds and silk, as well as the company of kings and queens. However, the song suggests that this life of luxury may not be worth it in the end. The lyrics warn that without love and friends, all one may find is fallen tears and petty crimes that break the heart and leave it bleeding. The promise of all the tea in China may seem appealing, but it ultimately cannot replace the value of true love and relationships.
The song critiques the pursuit of material wealth and the empty promises of a life without love and connection. It contrasts these aims with the value of emotional fulfilment and genuine human connection. The chorus of the song repeats the refrain "Who needs love when all you find is fallen tears and petty crimes, break your heart and let it bleed," emphasizing the emptiness of material gain without other important aspects of life.
Overall, "All the Tea in China" is a poignant commentary on the human desire for wealth and power, as well as the cost of pursuing these goals. It invites listeners to reflect on the true value of relationships, emotional fulfilment, and love in their own lives.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a man with land as far as you could see
Once upon a time, there was a rich man who owned an enormous expanse of land.
From Mexico to Carolina
This land stretched all the way from Mexico to Carolina.
He said leave your life behind and follow me
He promised anyone who would abandon their old life and join him great riches and luxury.
There'll be enough to satisfy you
He assured them that he could provide them with everything they could ever want or need.
Diamonds for your hands
He would give them expensive and valuable jewels to adorn their hands.
And silk beneath your feet
They could walk on soft and delicate silk cloth beneath their feet.
Not a care will come to find you
Living with such luxury and wealth would mean they would never have to worry about anything.
Kings and Queens will surely be your company
They would be surrounded by royalty, nobility, and important people from around the world.
You'll have all the tea in China
They would even have access to as much tea as they could possibly want from China, reflecting the lavishness and excess of their new lifestyle.
If you find no friends are near
However, if they ever found themselves alone and without companionship,
Just hold your treasures dear
they should hold on tightly to their vast riches.
Everything you could ever need
Because they would have everything that they could possibly need to survive and thrive.
Who needs love when all you find is
Being wealthy and surrounded by other wealthy people might seem like you don't need anything else.
Fallen tears and petty crimes
But when you experience sadness and petty crimes, you realize that wealth and luxury cannot fill the hole in your heart.
Break your heart and let it bleed
Experiencing heartache and pain is a part of life, and it's important to acknowledge and feel those emotions.
Tomorrow's fortune will remind you
In the future, their wealth might remind them of what they gave up to obtain it.
You've given up your love for one more guarantee
They might have sacrificed true love and human connection for a mere guarantee of wealth and luxury.
All the rain in Spain
Similar to the line 'all the tea in China', this emphasizes the excess and impracticality of their desires for amassing all the rain in Spain.
All the smoke in California
This line highlights the extravagant and impossible nature of achieving all their desires, including owning all the smoke in California.
All the tea in China
The repetition of this line emphasizes the ultimate desire for endless wealth and luxury beyond what is practical or fulfilling for human beings.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PETER HAGEN MAYER, ROGER GUTH, RUSS KUNKEL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind