Welcome to "One Track Mind," a new BMN weekly column by contributing writer Dana English. In this column, Dana will take a deep dive into a single track from an album, exploring the lyrics, instrumentation, recording, art, and other nuances of the song. By focusing on just one track at a time, Dana hopes to delve deeper into both forgotten and new songs, and to explore and appreciate a wide range of genres. In each column, Dana will also take a look at the writing and recording process behind the music and provide historical context for some, to help readers better understand and appreciate the tracks they love or deeply connect with new music. Join us on this journey down the musical rabbit hole of “One Track Mind.”
MIRACLE LEGION “All for the Best”
Album: Surprise Surprise Surprise, 1987
Miracle Legion is an American rock band that was formed in 1983 in New Haven, Connecticut, and gained a cult following in the 1980s and 1990s with their melodic and introspective brand of indie rock. The band, originally formed by duo Mark Mulcahy and Ray Neal, released several albums to Making Waves and Rough Trade during their early career and went through multiple lineup changes before disbanding in 1997. However, they reformed in 2015 and continue to tour and record new music, releasing their newest album in 2022.
One of their most well-known and enduring tracks, "All for the Best," appeared on the band's 1987 album, Surprise Surprise Surprise. The track, written by Mulcahy, has a catchy, upbeat melody and features lyrics that explore how we cope with life’s harsh realities.
“All for the Best” kicks off with a steady drumbeat that carries us through the track and mirrors our persistent walk through life before being joined by a simple, yet memorable guitar riff. Mulcahy’s softly-delivered opening verse “Waking up and the bed was made / No one looked me in the eye / The more I tried, the more I cried / But it's all for the best,” beautifully depicting how lonely and isolating life can be.
In later lines, the narrator watches as his brother goes through the motions and cuts the grass, giving undercurrents of the struggles one faces as they age. His brother tells him there is “a long way to go before we can rest, but it’s all for the best” – but is that the life he wants? Is it all for the best?
In all, it speaks to how we just keep going – through the challenging, the lonely, the heartbreaking, the unjust – we carry on, no matter how much it hurts or how hard it is. In other reviews, the song is often interpreted as optimistic, but I disagree. To me, it reads more as acceptance, rather than optimism, and is an exploration of the things we tell ourselves as a form of comfort: “Well, I guess it was all for the best.” However, it does end with the message that love can carry us through as Mulcahy repeats “please just say you love me.”
The simplicity of “All for the Best” might actually be what makes it so beautiful and is what I see as one of the earlier examples of what we now consider modern jangle pop. Also, for the Radiohead fans out there, Thom Yorke covered it as part of a Shout! Factory benefit arranged to raise funds for Mulcahy following the loss of his wife. Give them both a listen and let us know which one is your favorite.
THOM YORKE "All For The Best"