Shortly before his father's death in a 1973 plane crash, Croce's family moved west to San Diego, California, where his mother, Ingrid, raised him.
At the age of four, Croce was completely blinded, as the result of a brain tumor. Between the ages of four and ten, Croce gradually regained vision in his left eye. It was during this difficult time in Croce's life that he began to play the piano. "I learned to play music by listening and playing along to the radio and to records..." Croce says, "At some point I was given the music of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as inspiration, which it was, and has been ever since."
Croce's first paying gig was at the age of 12, when he was paid $20 to perform at a Bat-Mitzvah party. By the age of 16, Croce was performing regularly at San Diego nightclubs, as a sideman and band leader. Croce reflects, "I was into every kind of music... you might say I was unfocused, but I consider an eclectic taste in music to be the foundation of versatility." Croce's house burned down when he was age 15.
Ron Goldstein and Peter Bauman of Private Music signed Croce to his first record deal at age 19. He recorded two CDs for Private Music: his self-titled debut, "A.J. Croce," produced by T-Bone Burnett and John Simon, and "That's Me In The Bar," produced by Jim Keltner, and featuring artists such as Ry Cooder, David Hidalgo, and Keltner himself.
Croce's third release, "Fit To Serve," was recorded in Memphis, and produced by Jim Gaines, who had previously produced Van Morrison, Santana, and The Steve Miller Band. Croce then took a musical turn with the release of his album Transit. He explained, "I had been playing blues-based music for a long time, and I was ready to try something new." Transit was compared by critics to the work of John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. Glen Starkey of New Times labeled Croce "a song crafter of the first order."
A fifth CD, titled "Adrian James Croce" was released in the summer of 2004, and a sixth CD, Cantos, in 2006.
Croce has performed as an opening act for artists such as Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, James Brown, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Earth, Wind and Fire and Ray Charles. He has also performed on such national venues as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Austin City Limits.
One and Only
A.J. Croce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've got a habit of chasing after what's never mine
Cause you and I, we've both got problems when it comes to trust
It feels like there's somebody watching when it's just the two of us
Cause we know that we won't make it far
And I know that I try too hard
And you never want to open up
And that's the problem with us
My mind's a mess, you fucked me up
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
Pour me another, another shot inside my cup
I'm spilling wine inside the tub
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
We've been out of touch since the last time you came
I should know by now that people never change
Cause you don't know that you have a way of making me feel small
And that's the reason why you never hear from me when I've got no one left to call
Cause I know we'll be happy someday
When we forget each other's names
Cause we're only good for just one night
We ran out of time
I only call you, I only call you when I'm drunk
My mind's a mess, you fucked me up
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
Pour me another, another shot inside my cup
I'm spilling wine inside the tub
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
I feel it flowing through my veins, I can't get you out my brain
I don't wanna be sober, cause that means we're over
I feel it flowing through my veins, I can't get you out my brain
I don't wanna be sober, cause that means we're over
I only call you, I only call you when I'm drunk
My mind's a mess, you fucked me up
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
Pour me another, another shot inside my cup
I'm spilling wine inside the tub
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
The lyrics of A.J. Croce's song One and Only explore the theme of failed relationships, regret, and self-destructive behavior. The singer of the song is haunted by memories of a past relationship that ended badly. He admits to having a habit of chasing after things that are never his, suggesting that he may not quite be over the person he is singing about. There is also a sense of distrust and a feeling of being watched when they're together, suggesting that their past relationship was plagued by suspicion and paranoia.
The song goes on to suggest that both parties have their own trust issues, and this is ultimately what led to the relationship's downfall. The singer has tried to move on, but he only calls the other person when he's drunk and vulnerable, which further perpetuates the vicious cycle of pain and regret. He knows that the two of them won't make it far, yet he can't help himself from calling.
Overall, the lyrics of One and Only express a sense of yearning for someone who is bad for the singer, and an inability to let go of a relationship that is clearly toxic. The song captures a sense of longing and desperation that is raw and relatable to anyone who has been in a similar situation.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm been having a flashback to when you spent the night
I keep remembering the night you stayed over
I've got a habit of chasing after what's never mine
I have a tendency to pursue things that are not meant for me
Cause you and I, we've both got problems when it comes to trust
Neither of us are good at trusting each other
It feels like there's somebody watching when it's just the two of us
Even when we're alone, it feels like someone is always watching us
Cause we know that we won't make it far
We both know our relationship won't last long
And I know that I try too hard
I recognize that I often try too hard to make things work
And you never want to open up
You never reveal your true feelings to me
And that's the problem with us
This is the fundamental issue with our relationship
I only call you, I only call you when I'm drunk
I only reach out to you when I'm intoxicated
My mind's a mess, you fucked me up
My thoughts are chaotic, and you're the one who messed me up emotionally
Now I only call you when I'm drunk
I don't contact you when I'm sober
Pour me another, another shot inside my cup
Give me another drink to numb my feelings
I'm spilling wine inside the tub
I'm wasting alcohol, and I don't care
We've been out of touch since the last time you came
We haven't spoken since the last time we saw each other
I should know by now that people never change
I should be aware that people can't change who they are
Cause you don't know that you have a way of making me feel small
You don't realize how you affect my self-esteem
And that's the reason why you never hear from me when I've got no one left to call
That's why I don't call you when I'm alone and desperate
Cause I know we'll be happy someday
I have hope that we'll have a happy future together
When we forget each other's names
When we're no longer attached to each other
Cause we're only good for just one night
We only have a connection for a short period
We ran out of time
Our time together ended quickly
I feel it flowing through my veins, I can't get you out my brain
I still feel the emotions I have for you strongly
I don't wanna be sober, cause that means we're over
I don't want to be sober because that means we're truly over
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Jackson Harre
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Bill Brabham
Great collaboration! Brother AJ soaked up every drop of his dad - AND MOM's beautiful talent. I Love the Croce family!
Brian Krenzke
Very cool. Saw AJ Croce perform a while ago at the Coach House in Dana Point California expecting him to play a bunch of his Dad's stuff. Surprisingly, found he had written all of his own music and it was really great. It's a bummer that he hasn't become more popular, but good for me because we can get great seats to his gigs. :p
2tfts
Based on THIS video, I bought tickets for my brother & his wife to see AJ at the Katherine Hepburn Theatre here in Old Saybrook,CT. (I was,sadly, out of state on that day) My sister-in-law is a classically trained vocalist, so I hoped AJ would be THIS good...They haven't stopped thanking me for the gift.They thoroughly enjoyed the performance! I hope to be with them the next time he is here ! He even greeted the audience afterward and signed CDs (Of course,I got one) Go see him if you can !
Carol Mendosa
This is one of the best sounding music video I have ever heard. Love it. I wish AJ's music was as popular as his fathers. People are missing out on a great musician and vocalist in his own right.
Marina Bitter
I just love his music.. too bad all the other good stuff is not on youtube. Because every single song from this album is AMAZING! (L)it.
violetparme
You're just great A.J; the guy playing with you doesn't sound bad either! all the best to both of you.
Bonnie Beach
Fantastic. Love your music and songs AJ.
Mitar
man that solo..who ever that guy is.. it was phenomenal
acousticguitarfan
AJ has his dad's talent!
Danny Comer
This work is very,very good. I think his voice and style are also similar to Paul Simon. Nothing wrong with that, for certain. I also see that he, like his Dad, partnered with a very accomplished guitarist.