A veteran of the small club circuit, particularly in and around his native New York City, Hest recorded and issued his first three albums on his own. Incomplete (1999), a collection of six songs, was originally intended as a demo to circulate among club owners to help secure performing engagements. Incomplete began selling well at shows, and led to the production of two more full-length albums, Come Home (2001) and Story after Story (2003). Hest's first commercial release from a national record label, Someone to Tell, was released by Columbia Records in 2004.
One Two
Ari Hest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of flailing light
Rip open eyes
Long closed
Crack,
The clamor of
The cranes above
Tall
And tenuous,
She rouses us
Below
One two
One two
Sore
And lazy-eyed
I wonder if
She knows
Of all
The victimized
Who don’t know where
They’ll go
One two
One two
One two
One two
When
She falls asleep
I wait for her
Reprise
And then
They drill her walls
Awake to remember me
The lyrics to Ari Hest's song "One Two" are filled with vivid imagery and emotions. The first verse speaks about "rows of flailing light" that "rip open eyes long closed." This could be interpreted as the bright lights of a new day shining through a person's bedroom window, jolting them awake. The use of the word "flailing" adds a sense of chaotic movement and urgency, as if the person needs to get up and face the day, no matter how difficult it may be. The following line talks about the "clamor of cranes above" which could refer to the construction work outside, a metaphor for the world bustling around the person as they try to find their place in it. The "she" referred to in the song could be interpreted as the personification of the city or the world, as she "grows tall and tenuous," waking up the people "below."
The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "one two" which could symbolize the monotonous rhythm of everyday life. It could also be interpreted as a countdown, urging the person to keep moving forward, one step at a time. The second verse speaks of the person feeling "sore and lazy-eyed" as they ponder whether or not the "she" knows about all the "victimized" people in the world who don't know where they're going. This could be interpreted as the person feeling overwhelmed by the problems of the world and wondering if anyone else is aware of them.
The final verse talks about the person waiting for "her reprise" when she falls asleep. This could be interpreted as the person waiting for a moment of peace or rest from the chaos and demands of the world. However, this moment of calm is interrupted by the "drilling of her walls" which could represent the intrusive thoughts or worries that plague the person's mind, preventing them from finding true rest.
Line by Line Meaning
Rows
Several beams of light moving rapidly back and forth
Of flailing light
These fast moving beams of light are uncontrolled and wild
Rip open eyes
The brightness of the light is blinding
Long closed
The eyes that are being opened have been shut for a long time
Crack,
Suddenly and forcefully
The clamor of
The loud noise produced by
The cranes above
The large birds flying overhead
She grows
The growth of a physical object is being observed
Tall
The object that is growing is becoming higher
And tenuous,
The growth appears fragile and weak
She rouses us
The growth is causing people to awaken from sleep
Below
The people who are awakening are located beneath the object that is growing
One two
A rhythm similar to the sound of a clock ticking
One two
Continuation of the same repetitive rhythm
Sore
Painful and uncomfortable
And lazy-eyed
Someone who is sleepy and lethargic, with heavy eyelids
I wonder if
Questioning whether
She knows
The object that is growing is conscious and aware
Of all
Acknowledging the existence of
The victimized
People who have been oppressed or abused
Who don’t know where
Those who are lost or without direction
They’ll go
Not sure of their destination or future path
When
At a particular time
She falls asleep
The object that is growing enters a restful state
I wait for her
Observing and anticipating the end of the growth period
Reprise
A return to an earlier or previous state, in this case the restful period
And then
After the restful period is over
They drill her walls
Others attempt to damage or destroy the growing object
Awake to remember me
Realizing that the actions of others have hurt or affected them personally
Contributed by Bentley S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
ThePhysicsNinja
Excellent song. My absolute favorite, it helps me sleep when I'm feeling alone.
gsd4door
this is still one of the best songs you still have to search for
mikefalzone
One of my favorites.
LadyWatchingBird
I loved hearing this when you released it ...oh so many moons ago. I miss NYC.
Zest0
If I had an incurable disease, this song would abolish it without a doubt! Medicine to my ears and body !!
MrVero97
Sounds like it has just a pinch of Orba Squara in it... which is a good thing.
ThePhysicsNinja
C: Yes I noticed. Thank you.
Skellertom
Hi Fizz. I found you. c: Is Lyd.