‘All I Need Is a Miracle’ is a song performed by English pop rock band Mike + The Mechanics. Written by guitarist Mike Rutherford and producer Christopher Neil, it was first included on their 1985 self-titled debut album, and later released as a single in early 1986 in the USA, where it reached number 5 on the Billboard Hot 100. The song was sung by Paul Young on both the original recording and the 1996 re-recording for the band's Hits compilation album.
The "Mike" in Mike + the Mechanics is Mike Rutherford, best known for his work with Genesis. Every member of Genesis embarked on other projects, with the solo efforts of Peter Gabriel and Phil Collins getting the most attention, but Rutherford did very well with with Mike + the Mechanics, whose biggest hit came in 1988 with ‘The Living Years.’ In an interview prior to the song's release as a single, Rutherford commented, "The thing that makes 'Miracle' different, to me, is that it's a happy song – or it's primarily a happy song. It's 'up'. And I don't do that very often. ...It may not be optimistic, but it's a positive attitude to life."
‘All I Need Is a Miracle’ was the second single released by Mike + The Mechanics, following ‘Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)’, which also reached the top 10. ‘All I Need Is a Miracle’ featured lead vocals by former Sad Café vocalist Paul Young.
The music video for ‘Silent Running (On Dangerous Ground)’ ends with footage of Mike + The Mechanics performing the song at a restaurant, and segues into the video for ‘Miracle’. In the video, ‘All I Need is a Miracle’ is the final song in the band's fictional set, so Mike + The Mechanics' tour manager (played by Roy Kinnear) attempts to settle-up with the restaurant owner (played by Victor Spinetti) for the agreed sum of £250. However, the owner points out that due to the gig being arranged at the last minute, the restaurant is more than half empty, and refuses to pay. Moreover, he threatens to hold all the band's equipment (and "the guitarist's right arm" the early airings) as collateral until he is paid £500.
The bulk of the video then alternates between the band's performance and the manager's adventures in trying to acquire the necessary £500. The manager's conflicts get worse when a Chinese hoodlum swipes his money while riding a bike. The manager runs after the thief and follows him to the basement of a restaurant in Chinatown where his money is being gambled away. There he attempts to gamble his money back by playing mah-jong. However, as he is winning, the thief and his cronies kick him out of the building. As he sits in despair, he is consoled by a stray dog, which is soon whisked away by its owner. His luck changes when the grateful Rolls-Royce-driving owner hands him a large amount of money for "finding" the dog. The manager returns to the restaurant, pays the owner the £500, and gives the change to Rutherford, telling him to split it amongst the band. The blissfully unaware Rutherford quips the video's punch line, "That's an easy way to make a living."
Label – Atlantic
Songwriters – Mike Rutherford, Christopher Neil
Producer – Christopher Neil
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I said "Go if you wanna go, stay if you wanna stay"
I didn't care if you hung around me, I didn't care if you went away
And I know you were never right, I'll admit, I was never wrong
I could never make up my mind, I made it up as I went along
[Pre-Chorus]
And though I treated you like a child
I'm gonna miss you for the rest of my life
[Chorus]
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
[Verse 2]
I never had any time, and I never had any call
But I went out of my way just to hurt you, the one I shouldn't hurt at all
I thought I was being cool, yeah, I thought I was being strong
But it's always the same old story, you never know what you've got 'til it's gone
[Pre-Chorus]
If I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
[Chorus]
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you
[Instrumental Break]
[Pre-Chorus]
And if I ever catch up with you
I'm gonna love you for the rest of your life
[Chorus]
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle, all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
[Outro]
All I need is a miracle (All I need is a, all I need is a, all I need is you), all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle (All I need), all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)
All I need is a miracle (All I need is a miracle), all I need is you (All I need is a miracle)