Roll The Bones

The lyrics consider how much of life comes from effort and how much from chance. They begin by questioning the idea that hard work always brings success: people shape their own plans, but circumstances also shape what happens. The repeated invitation to “roll the bones” turns this uncertainty into a call to take part in life rather than expect clear answers. The mood becomes more serious when the speaker asks why innocent children suffer, then shifts back toward energetic encouragement.

Dice, cards, and a spinning wheel are images of luck and risk. To “roll the bones” means, in this context, to accept uncertainty and take a chance. The line about drawing our own designs while fortune makes the frame suggests that people have choices, but cannot control every condition around them. “Lady luck” personifies chance as a woman who may favor bold players, though luck is never guaranteed.

The song does not settle whether life is governed by fate, random events, or some larger power. Its repeated answers—“Because we’re here” and “Because it happens”—can sound playful, but also point to the limits of human explanation. The advice to focus on facts challenges superstition, while the gambling metaphors still embrace risk. Rather than offering a firm theory, the lyrics seem to hold both ideas together: events can be unfair and unpredictable, yet people can still act, make choices, and keep going.