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Click on the ‘Play’ button above to hear the song as you read the lyrics below. If the player doesn’t start straight away, wait and then press the ‘Play’ button again. Alternatively, you can listen to all of the album’s songs on Bandcamp HERE
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All There Is is the 7th track from the album Country Boy, you can listen to the album HERE
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You can download the song All There Is on Bandcamp HERE and the album Country Boy on Bandcamp HERE and all download stores HERE
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In All There Is the artist explore themes of life’s fleeting nature, the pursuit of success, and the inevitable realization of life’s limitations. Through a series of vivid examples and personal reflections, the song paints a picture of individuals who strive for greatness, only to face the sobering reality that even the most ambitious goals and desires often come with emptiness or loss.
The first verse introduces the image of a king (Elvis) who dies ‘on his throne’ alone despite his power, questioning the value of fame and wealth (“Can this be all there is?”). This theme continues with a reference to the king seeking fortune and fame, who prays for redemption but ultimately finds no salvation, again posing the same existential question.
The chorus, “No one can have it all,” reinforces the idea that no matter how high one climbs, everyone faces limitations. There is a sense that both success and failure are inevitable, and no one is exempt from the eventual fall (“You may be bound to fall, way down into the pit”). The recurring question, “Can this be all there is?” encapsulates the doubts and existential crisis that follow both success and failure in life.
The song then shifts to a boxing champ who bit off more than he could chew (Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield’s ear) and is physically and mentally broken by his pursuits (“beaten black and blue”), and whose downfall is inevitable after reaching the peak of his success. The theme of fleeting glory is evident here, with the idea that even those who “climb as high as they could go” eventually fall.
In the final verses, the singer shares a more intimate experience, recalling a fleeting moment of love with “Mary Jane” at a bus stop in the rain. This personal vignette, filled with melancholy, serves as a reminder that not only material success but also human relationships and experiences can feel ephemeral.
The repeated question throughout the song – “Can this be all there is?” – echoes a deeper existential longing, questioning whether there is more to life than what is immediately visible: fame, success, and fleeting pleasures. The song ends with a note of perseverance despite life’s hardships (“But I can smile coz I’m still here”), suggesting that while the quest for meaning may be fraught with disappointment, survival and resilience remain.
Overall, “All There Is” is a reflection on life’s transience, the limits of worldly achievements, and the personal search for deeper meaning beyond success, loss, and love. It conveys a universal theme that resonates with anyone facing the inevitable reality that no one can have it all, and the pursuit of “more” often leads to the question of life’s true purpose.
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All There Is lyrics
I heard the king died on the throne
For sure he died there all alone
Hear what was wrote on his head-stone
Can this be all there is?
Can this be all there is?
Fortune and fame was what he craved
He prayed a lot but wasn’t saved
And it still calls out from the grave
Can this be all there is?
Can this be all there is?
No one can have it all
One day you’re forced to quit
You may be bound to fall
Way down into the pit
So when you hear the call
You’ll have to answer this
Can this be all
Can this be all there is?
The champ was beaten black and blue
He bit off more than he could chew
They say he got what he was due
Can this be all there is?
Can this be all there is?
He climbed as high as he could go
Up with the stars he brightly glowed
But then he fell, it went to show
This can’t be all there is?
This can’t be all there is?
No one can have it all
One day you’re forced to quit
You may be bound to fall
Way down into the pit
So when you hear the call
You’ll have to answer this
Can this be all
Can this be all there is?
As I made love with Mary Jane
At a bus stop in the cold rain
She shouted out as the bus came
Can this be all there is?
Can this be all there is?
I’ve loved and lost much through the years
But I can smile coz I’m still here
I still am wand’ring through the tears
Can this be all there is?
Can this be all there is?
No one can have it all
One day you’re forced to quit
You may be bound to fall
Way down into the pit
So when you hear the call
You’ll have to answer this
Can this be all
Can this be all there is?
Paul Robert Thomas
PRS Tunecode 700010AQ
ISWC T-331.124.315-5
from Country Boy, released February 27, 2025
Produced by Paul Robert Thomas
all rights reserved
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