Have It All

Album: Know (2018)
Charted: 90
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Co-written by Jason Mraz with David Hodges, Jacob Kasher, and Andrew Wells, this song draws inspiration from a religious encounter that the singer had in Southeast Asia.

    May you have auspiciousness and causes of success

    Mraz explained to Genius: "This lyric is the origin of the song. It was bestowed to me by a Buddhist monk while visiting Myanmar back in 2012. The monk bowed and said 'Tashi delek' which can be translated to mean 'may you have auspiciousness and causes of success.' Inspired by this gracious message I took to my journal and expounded on the idea with the following lines and verses."
  • Mraz said in a press release: "'Have It All' stood out as a song with a hopeful message to help me heal and move forward; a song with a message of generosity – the antithesis of despondency; a song bestowed to me by translating a message from a monk. It's a blessing disguised as a rap song and it's meant to be paid-forward and shared."
  • A video was shot for the song with performing arts students from Mraz's hometown of Richmond. A documentary film was later released detailing the creative process behind the song and its visual.

    "It's a movie about one song, but also how that one song reflects almost every song of my career," Mraz told ET. "And also how that one song's music video was made through a collaborative experience with two nonprofits in Richmond, Virginia, which is my hometown. It's honestly less about me and more about shining a light on tomorrow's artists."

Comments: 2

  • Vic From Omaha Is My Hearing Twin from UsaI heard that exact same thing just last night and had to immediately look up the song. I was disappointed when I found out it was an oddly pronounced way of emphasizing the wrong syllable of "*esteemed* guest." Lol.
  • Vic from Omaha"May you be treated like an Epstein guest"!!!! Beautiful song. A little ironic in light of things, though
see more comments

Editor's Picks

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The Devil

Five Rockers Who Rolled With The DevilSong Writing

Just how much did these monsters of rock dabble in the occult?

Joe Elliott of Def Leppard

Joe Elliott of Def LeppardSongwriter Interviews

The Def Leppard frontman talks about their "lamentable" hit he never thought of as a single, and why he's juiced by his Mott The Hoople cover band.

Grammar In Lyrics

Grammar In LyricsMusic Quiz

Lyrics don't always follow the rules of grammar. Can you spot the ones that don't?

Who Wrote That Song?

Who Wrote That Song?Music Quiz

Do you know who wrote Patti Smith's biggest hit? How about the Grease theme song? See if you can match the song to the writer.

Lip-Synch Rebels

Lip-Synch RebelsSong Writing

What happens when Kurt Cobain, Iron Maiden and Johnny Lydon are told to lip-synch? Some hilarious "performances."

Divided Souls: Musical Alter Egos

Divided Souls: Musical Alter EgosSong Writing

Long before Eminem, Justin Bieber and Nicki Minaj created alternate personas, David Bowie, Bono, Joni Mitchell and even Hank Williams took on characters.