You know that feeling when a song just... gets it? It’s not just about a catchy beat or a chorus that stays stuck in your head for three days straight. Sometimes it’s the way the words paint a picture of a life that feels messy, overwhelming, and somehow exactly right all at once. That's the vibe when people talk about the lyrics a little bit of everything.
Most people hear that phrase and immediately think of Dawes. The Los Angeles folk-rock band released "A Little Bit of Everything" back in 2011 on their album Nothing Is Wrong, and honestly, Taylor Goldsmith wrote something that feels less like a song and more like a short story collection. It isn't just one narrative. It’s a series of vignettes that somehow bridge the gap between a guy contemplating jumping off a bridge and a couple planning a wedding at a buffet. It's weird. It's beautiful. It's deeply human.
Music resonates when it stops trying to be "perfect" and starts being "real."
Breaking Down the Lyrics A Little Bit of Everything
The opening verse is a heavy hitter. We meet a man on the Golden Gate Bridge. You expect it to be dark—and it is—but the way the lyrics handle it is surprisingly tender. He isn’t just sad; he’s specific. He talks about his "mind like a kitchen with a dinner for eight" where nothing is cooked. That’s a wild metaphor. It captures that paralyzed feeling of having too much to do and no energy to do it.
Taylor Goldsmith has this knack for writing lyrics that feel like they were pulled from a private conversation.
When the man in the song explains why he’s at the edge, he mentions he wants a "little bit of everything." It’s a pivot. Usually, that phrase implies greed or excitement, like standing in front of a dessert bar. Here, it’s about the weight of existence. He wants the pile of it—the good, the bad, the mundane—to finally just be over. Or perhaps, he wants to feel it all at once before he goes. It’s ambiguous in a way that feels intentional.
Then the song shifts. We move from the bridge to a cemetery.
We see a woman pile dirt on a grave, and again, the lyrics a little bit of everything catch you off guard. She isn't just mourning a person; she's mourning the details. The "way that he'd share," the "way that he'd bake." It’s the domesticity that breaks your heart. We don’t miss the "idea" of people; we miss the way they smelled or the specific way they burned the toast.
Why Specificity Wins Over Vague Poetry
A lot of songwriters try to be "universal" by being vague. They use words like love, pain, heart, and forever. Dawes does the opposite.
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They use words like "staple gun" and "potted plants."
By being hyper-specific, they actually become more relatable. Everyone has a different "potted plant" in their life. By focusing on the tangible objects, the song anchors the listener in a physical reality. It makes the emotional payoff feel earned rather than forced.
The third verse is the one that usually gets the most play at weddings, which is kind of ironic considering the first two verses involve a suicide attempt and a funeral. But that’s the point. The couple in the third verse is at a buffet. They are looking at the pre-made salads and the "over-cooked beef." It’s unglamorous. It’s suburban. It’s perfect.
The protagonist says he wants a "little bit of everything" on his plate, and his partner realizes that’s how he loves her, too. He loves the "cracks in the sidewalk" and the "parts that are tired." That is a much more profound version of love than the stuff you hear in Top 40 pop songs. It’s a love that acknowledges the baggage.
The Cultural Impact of the "Everything" Narrative
This song didn’t just stay in the indie-rock bubble. It found a massive second life when it was featured in the TV show This Is Us.
If you’ve seen the show, you know it’s basically a masterclass in emotional manipulation (in a good way). The show’s themes of generational trauma, small joys, and the passage of time mirrored the lyrics a little bit of everything so closely that it felt like the song was written for the Pearsons. When it played during a pivotal montage, a whole new generation of listeners started Googling the lyrics.
It tapped into a specific 21st-century anxiety.
We live in an era of "curated" lives. Instagram filters, LinkedIn promotions, the "best version" of ourselves. Dawes was pushing back against that before it was even the norm. They were saying: "Give me the ugly parts. Give me the buffet beef. Give me the heavy thoughts."
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The Musicality Behind the Words
You can't talk about the lyrics without talking about the arrangement. It starts with a simple piano. It’s sparse.
As the stories build, the instruments layer in. It’s a slow burn. By the time the song reaches its climax, it feels huge, like a communal sigh of relief. This is a technique Taylor Goldsmith uses often, but it never feels like a gimmick. The music grows as the emotional stakes grow.
Honesty is rare in songwriting.
Many artists are afraid to look "uncool." Writing a song about a buffet is arguably one of the least "rock star" things you can do. But that’s exactly why it works. It’s brave to be boring. It’s brave to admit that life is mostly made up of small, insignificant moments that only become significant because we’re experiencing them with someone else.
How to Apply the "Everything" Philosophy to Your Own Life
If you’re reading this because you’re a fan of the song, or maybe you just stumbled upon the lyrics a little bit of everything and felt a spark, there’s a practical takeaway here.
We often spend our lives waiting for the "big" moments. The graduation, the promotion, the wedding day. We treat the time in between like it’s just filler. Like we’re sitting in a waiting room for our real life to start.
The song argues the opposite.
The "filler" is the life. The argument over where to eat, the quiet morning coffee, the way you feel when you’re stuck in traffic—that’s the "everything" the song is talking about. When you start looking at your day through that lens, things get a little lighter. Not because the problems go away, but because you realize the problems are part of the texture.
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Deep Nuance in the Final Verse
The final shift in the song is where Goldsmith brings it all home. He moves the perspective to himself.
He’s looking at the person he loves and realizing that he wants it all—the "good" and the "bad." He explicitly mentions that he doesn’t want to just see the "highlight reel." He wants the "little bit of everything" that makes up a whole human being.
It’s a rejection of perfectionism.
In a world that demands we be "optimized," this song is a plea for being "human." It’s okay to be a "kitchen with a dinner for eight" where nothing is cooked. It’s okay to be the person at the buffet with a messy plate.
Actionable Steps for Music Lovers and Meaning-Seekers
If you find yourself coming back to these lyrics, here is how you can actually engage with the themes of the song in a way that goes beyond just listening.
1. Practice Narrative Reframing
Take a "boring" or "frustrating" part of your day—like a long commute or a sink full of dishes—and try to describe it in your head with the same detail Dawes uses. Instead of "I have to do the dishes," think about "the way the soap bubbles catch the light from the window while the neighbor's dog barks." It sounds cheesy, but it builds the muscle of appreciation for the "mundane everything."
2. Share the "Real" Stuff
The next time someone asks how you are, skip the "I'm good, you?" Give them a "little bit of everything." Share one small, weirdly specific detail about your day. "I'm okay, I actually found a really great pen today and it made my morning better." It opens the door for actual connection.
3. Explore the Dawes Discography
If this song hit you, don't stop there. Check out "All Your Favorite Bands" or "Crack the Case." Goldsmith’s writing style is consistent—he always favors the story over the spectacle.
4. Create Your Own "Everything" List
Write down five tiny, specific things you would miss if you weren't here. Not "my family" or "my house." Think: "the sound of the floorboards creaking," "the smell of the air before it rains," or "the way my cat looks at me when I’m eating cheese."
The lyrics a little bit of everything serve as a reminder that life isn't a destination. It's a collection. Some pieces are beautiful, some are broken, and some are just plain weird. But you need all of them to make the picture complete. Stop waiting for the perfect moment and start looking at the "everything" you already have in front of you. It's usually more than enough.