Angela McCluskey (born in Glasgow on 28 February 1960; died 14 March 2024) … Read Full Bio ↴Angela McCluskey (born in Glasgow on 28 February 1960; died 14 March 2024) was a Scottish-born singer-songwriter who was based in California, United States, from the early 1990s. She performed as a solo artist and as a member of the folk rock group Wild Colonials. McCluskey also provided vocals for Curio and recorded the European dance hit and US Mitsubishi commercial hit, "Breathe", among other songs with Télépopmusik (on the albums Genetic World and Angel Milk). She also sang "Beautiful Things" for American Express and later her voice was heard on the Schick Quattro commercial singing "I'm Not the Girl". Her songs have appeared on the soundtracks for the films Rachel Getting Married, Sherrybaby, The Beat That My Heart Skipped. Her music has also been featured in the television series Grey's Anatomy.

With a cult following, McCluskey is remembered for a car promotion: her voice is heard on Télépopmusik's song "Breathe" in a Mitsubishi ad.

The former lead singer of Wild Colonials released her debut solo CD, The Things We Do, in 2004. Recorded in only a few days in New York and Sweden, the album showcases McCluskey's extraordinary, raw vocals.

In 2009, McCluskey released her second solo album, You Could Start a Fight in an Empty House, including the track "Handle with Grace" (featuring Télépopmusik).

One by One
Angela McCluskey Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

The devil done got me
Though the doctor tried to spare me
I'm living on candy now

Got down on my bad knee
To the drip drip of IV
Won't someone hold me as I die?

But if I die
Long live I
Long live I

Mama would you miss me?
Would you hover and caress me?
Would you hang me from the Christmas tree?

But I leave something burning here
A signal-fire, the moon and stars
Can track my fall, receive me

Love, good love
Goodbye

Bye and bye
Long live I
Long live I

And I don't wanna be your shadow
And I don't wanna know your skin
Tell them not to dig too shallow

I want to sleep in sin
Cut the sun
And steal away a piece

Long live I

Long live I
Long live I

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Angela McCluskey's song One by One reveal a person who has made some bad choices and is now facing the dire consequences of their actions. The line "the devil done got me" suggests that the singer has given into their sinful nature and has allowed themselves to be controlled by their vices. They have reached a point where they are living off of candy, which is most likely a reference to drugs or some other addiction that they cannot seem to shake off. The next lines, "got down on my bad knee to the drip drip of IV", suggest that the singer is in a hospital, possibly due to an overdose, and that they are close to death.

The singer then asks for someone to hold them as they die, possibly looking for some form of comfort or companionship in their final moments. They also express the desire to be missed by their mother and wonder if she would hang them from the Christmas tree as a form of mourning. However, the singer seems to find some solace in the fact that they will leave "something burning here" and that their "signal-fire" will be received by the moon and stars.

All in all, the lyrics of One by One paint a bleak and tragic picture of a person who has reached the end of their rope, but who also recognizes that their actions have left some sort of mark on the world.

Line by Line Meaning

The devil done got me
I have fallen into a dark place in my life

Though the doctor tried to spare me
Despite outside help, I continue to struggle

I'm living on candy now
I'm relying on a temporary solution to cope

Got down on my bad knee
I am physically and emotionally strained

To the drip drip of IV
I am receiving medical treatment

Won't someone hold me as I die?
I desire human connection during my final moments

But if I die
In the event of my death

Long live I
My memory and essence will continue on

Mama would you miss me?
I wonder if my loved ones would mourn me

Would you hover and caress me?
I long for comfort and love

Would you hang me from the Christmas tree?
A rhetorical question about the extent of my significance