“Everybody” by Mac Miller
This is a reflective tune from Mac Miller with an existential theme. That is to say it is based on two basic observations he makes about life. First is that “everybody’s gotta live”. What it appears he is saying with this statement, taking for instance the story of a blind man with the harmonica, is that human beings, by default, have to make the most of the life given to them.
Then the second observation is that “everybody’s going to die”. This statement logically points to the idea of death being inevitable. And ultimately what those two declarations mean conjointly is that life has both its ups and downs. And Mac Miller is dropping this philosophy on a particular addressee who reads as if it may be his romantic interest.
Basically what this conversation is meant to represent is a notion akin to the two of them being in love for eternity. And considering that the vocalist is in fact deceased at the time this song came out causes the lyrics to have an even more-profound effect. For conclusively, it seems as if he is acknowledging that a person’s spirit can have a lasting presence, i.e. “never go away”, even after their physical body is no longer present.
“Everybody” isn’t an Original Song
This is actually a cover of a 1972 track called “Everybody’s Gotta Live” by Arthur Lee (1945-2006). As such it is he who is credited as the writer of Mac Miller’s version also.
Meanwhile Miller’s version was produced by Miller himself and Jon Brion.
Release Date
“Everybody” came out, courtesy of Warner Records, on 17 January 2020. It was part of his posthumous studio album, “Circles”.
Was this a single from “Circles”?
No. Miller’s “Circles” album produced just one single. And that single goes by the title “Good News“.
Original Version
Below is the original version of the song as performed by Arthur Lee.
Thanks for posting, I’ve been dying for something of an explanation like this!!!
Man straight up butchered this song and like to think it never would of been released if not for him passing and a family member less musically inclined deciding to fish it out of the Bin and throw it on a posthumous album