Song Meaning

The lyrics open with a series of seemingly obvious or commonly accepted "truths," from weather phenomena to superstitions and celebrity lore. Each statement is immediately followed by the dismissive, almost resigned refrain, "But everybody knows that." This establishes a tone of shared, unexamined understanding. This comfortable consensus is abruptly shattered by the recurring question: "But does everybody know the way / That things are gonna go for them tomorrow?" The shift from trivial, accepted facts to profound uncertainty creates a stark emotional tension. The lyrics suggest a deep anxiety beneath the surface of collective knowledge, challenging the comfort of what "everybody knows." The cleverness lies in how the lyrics group disparate ideas—a simplistic explanation of rain, old wives' tales about luck, and celebrity gossip—all under the same banner of "everybody knows that." This ironic leveling implies a critique of how society often conflates genuine understanding with rumor or superstition. The insistent repetition of the phrase itself becomes a kind of societal hum, a background noise of uncritical acceptance. The impact of these lyrics stems from their ability to expose the fragility of what we consider "known." By contrasting the mundane certainty of common knowledge with the terrifying unpredictability of personal futures, especially the chilling line "no time left tomorrow," the lyrics force a confrontation with existential doubt. It's a sharp reminder that while we might share countless trivial facts, the most crucial knowledge about our own lives remains elusive.