Here’s a song from 1986 that defines the interesting term “lyrical dissonance.” “

So what does that mean? It means the lyrics of ‘All I Need is a Miracle” by Mike + The Mechanics don’t match the feel of the music.

Mike Rutherford (taking a break from Genesis) and his producer, Chris Neil, melded a jaunty upbeat tune with a sad set of lyrics about a guy who treated his girl horribly, and now wishes he had her back–and THAT is a perfect example of lyrical dissonance!

Interestingly, Mike never considered himself a very good singer, which is why he never sang lead on any Genesis songs, and why, for “All I Need is a Miracle,” he tapped Paul Young of the group Sad Cafe to do the honors.

The single, from Mike + the Mechanics self-titled first album, was a triple chart hit, reaching #5 on Billboard’s Hot 100, #6 on the Rock Chart, and #7 on the Adult Contemporary Chart.

“All I need is a Miracle:” lyrical dissonance, and a Great Song of 1986!

For the stories behind nearly 1,300 Great Songs of the ’70s and ’80s, visit my Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelCuuuk/