Astute Song Analysis: “Mine All Mine”

It was summer 1988, following one of the worst college years recorded in human history. I was working at Lupo’s Italian Restaurant, learning the ins-and-outs of properly sanitizing dishes without the use of a dishwasher and how much marinara to put in the linguine and red clam sauce. Driving home late at night I contemplated where my life was headed, with music as my only solace the message in a bottle that only truly knew who I was. That summer introduced to me a song that would always give me chills when I thought about the chords, the crescendos, the lyrics.

Two years prior, one of my favorite singers, Sammy Hagar, joined forces with a band that wasn’t really my style up to this point: Van Halen. I really hated David Lee Roth and the whole way the band was going with the suggestive lyrics and ridiculous video excesses of the 80s. They did have the occasional great song that didn’t deal with girls, but the real star of the band was the guitar and drums: namesakes for the band of course. Sammy had, another two years prior, one of my most favorite rockin’ out album for some time: VOA, (remember “I Can’t Drive 55” and the title track “VOA.” Oh so 80s!). Sammy had the power voice, he had the emotion, he had the inspirational motifs and the, mostly, soft songs that dealt with love and the power of it all. Van Halen’s first album with Sammy as lead was a musical masterpiece that hit number 1 on the charts with the song “Dreams” leading the pack. Oh what a song! What times in high school as we all united under a banner after the doubt of Roth being replaced by The Red Rocker! He had the stuff Van Halen needed.

Anyway, the whole “getting the chills” thing started when Rhett and Link talked about how to induce ourselves to get the chills. Link always said thinking about when Gandalf first comes out as Gandalf the White gives him the chills and he proved it, with Rhett freaking out a little too much. Then they talked about “Easy Lover” by Phil Collins and it reminded me of the one that always gives me the chills. And it brought me back to Lupo’s and failures and loneliness of that time period, but I remembered that song that could get me out of any funk if played loud enough. It spoke to me that no matter who said what about me or what depressing things the world introduced it was still all “Mine All Mine” and no one could take that away or force me into beliefs I didn’t have to have.

That day at work, I pulled up the song and listened to it, and it gave me the same chills I got back then. Of course, I’m a different man then I was then, and the lyrics didn’t hit me in the same way. I wondered if it was more the beat, the rhythms, the sound and volume of the song that did it. Either way, I thought that this song deserve an astute analysis and rewrite if need be. Following is the lyrics and my commentary and rewrite, if necessary:

“Forgive me father
For I have sinned
I’ve been through hell and back again
Shook hands with the devil
Looked him in the eye
Looked like a long lost friend
Anything you want
Any dirty deeds
He’s got everything
Except what I really need
Keepin’ me temporarily satisfied
But not one thing I tried
Filled me up inside
Or felt like mine
Mine, all mine”

This intro sounds fairly appropriate. We know sin, we know what it is to be evil, to take what we want. I wouldn’t change these lyrics. In fact it is a good intro to the whole idea of realizing we need more than just what our own desires are or what evil or Satan offers us. All those things we receive are temporary, it never fills us up.

“Yeah, the search goes on
The more I look
My world keeps getting smaller
Staring at the sun
Searchin’ for the light
Almost ended up blinded
Some only see
What they want to see
Claiming victory
Oh, but that’s not me
Give me truth
Give me something real
I just want to feel
Like it’s
Mine, all mine
Oh really mine, all mine
Come on give me something
Something that’s mine, all mine, all mine
Mine, all mine”

Looks like we are delving deeper into what we all really need to do at some point or another: examine what is truth and right and good and real. Even if we are born and raised in a Christian home we have to make a choice about whether we are going to make what we fully our own. It is painful when we look and look and look for truth and meaning and purpose, and others all around us claiming to know the truth. We should examine how we approach people. Do we come with superior attitudes? Are we condescending or humble in attitude? The way we first come is the most important thing in witnessing. Do we say how much God hates you? Do we just focus on His love and forget his justice and purity? Depend on Him. Prayerfully consider every divine appointment. Be humble and yet sure. He is always with us. If we turn them off because of our superior attitude it is on us, but if we reveal the purity of His message, it is God they accept or reject.

“All the words on the wall
Look the same in the mirror
Every riddle
Every clue
You got Allah in the east
You got Jesus in the west
Christ, what’s a man to do?”

Everything, every message, every religion all starts looking the same as we take it in. It is a hard message to consider which so many people rarely do when looking at all reasons for life, that God is in us and we in Him. Chosen. This is a word the world has a problem with and which they have a hard time believing God does. “Are you saying if I reject Him, He never chose me anyway?” you may have heard with scorn. It is why there are eons of debate about whether we chose Him or He chose us, when we truly don’t see it until the one day we see the fine and perfect balance of who He really is and goes against all our conventional and rational thought.

“They’ll find a cure for anything
Just kill the pain
Numb my brain”

“He’ll find a cure for all your pain/don’t give all in vain/start with a grain.”

Here he talks about all of this “stuff,” this religion and meaning is garbage and just makes you feel better for no reason, and turns off your reasoning, your thought and judgments, which to him is all important, but that is not what we do as Christians. If you are a true believer, you should never say, “I just believe it.” What we have is meaning and truth and purpose. It is the best way to live even if there was no heaven. Giving of self, denying it all for the purpose of the Creator is the greatest of all possible ways to live and if you can’t answer why, maybe you should look harder. It all starts with the smallest of faith. Give him a chance, let Him draw you. See how His people really live, not on Sunday only, but look at the difference during the week, and if it doesn’t look different from the rest of the world, it isn’t what God intended. Examine your life and make sure you’re following for all the best of reasons.

“We see a man
Speaking the word of God
Provin’ to be a fraud
His own church applauds”

Sad. This is what was going on in the eighties, but the church is what forgives, yes? This is what the world sees though. And when the Osteens are finally proved to be a fraud, who will love them, who will forgive? We now have a more clean, a more proper type of “Christian” on display. He says you deserve all the best. Maybe this song is a result of that era, because look at the last set of lyrics:

“Stop lookin’ out
Start lookin’ in
Be your own best friend
Stand up and say
Hey! This is mine
All mine, all mine, all mine
Baby, you got something
And I got something
And it’s mine, all mine, all mine
Yes, I’m searching
Got to have it
Mine, all mine”

Here is the whole meaning of the song: Be your own best friend. Up to this point Sammy has analyzed the world’s possible meaning by what the followers look like from his own point of view. He probably has went on all those pilgrimages, been to all those churches and temples and holy places and realized whatever all that is, is about themselves. So he is going to make it about him and what is his.

“Stop looking in / Start looking out / He will always be there / Stand up and say / Hey! He is Mine” “And I’m all His, all His, all His / Yes, I’ve stopped searching / Got to give it / I’m all His.”

So check out the great song, with some new lyrics in place. And remember, crank it up!