One By One
Banks Steelz Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't need these highs to lift me up
I don't want your smiles to wake me
I don't think that I should slowly go
Never ending trials I am facing
I don't want their wives to mix me up
I'm all fucked up today
My lucky friend says your luck will end today
I don't need these lows to numb
I don't want these trials to be raiding me
I don't need their noses to nose my heart
That's a start
Let's get it on
My lucky friend says your luck will end today
My lucky friend says your luck will end today
Ice cold on the battlefield
Twenty below was the wind chill
Winchester rifle with the hot lead
It burnt a hole in their fucking heads
Bullets ring on the battlefield
The survivor is the one who kills
Now they drown in their own blood
Men laying where they once stood
Through the fire and the gunsmoke
Niggas crawling with their back broke
And they're hopeful that they don't croak
Bullets spraying and there's no hope
From (?) I slay my enemy, drained him of his energy
I fight for this victory, you die in your iniquity
Ice c-c-cold on the battlefield
Twenty below motherfucker, that's the wind chill
A thousand men they come and they fall
One by one
Call the preacher, the mortician
You can't stop this coalition
Its like I'm fighting against the prohibition
In the sunlight, bong, you see that sword glisten
My lucky friend says your luck will end today
Now we got this taste for blood
Now we got this taste for blood from the
This pain is all but surmounted by peace
It truly is
Killa Hill, Brownville
Never ran, never will
Besmirch the quarter mil
Movie cams on y grill
Never jam, never squeal
C'mon every wheel
A bag of cash in the stash
Queen on the bills
I'm just one of my mom's eight born sons
One of those nine swordsmen
Slice your neck with a tongue
Its an Ol' Dirty cousin
A student of Allah's justice
Boosting my mind
(?) the atom bomb to crush us
I bathe in the moonlight
Gain praise in the sunlight
Seen the platoon strike at midnight to the noonlight
Oh what a life
With just a butter knife they could hijack your crew (?) interrupt your life
Then raise the price of grass, hash, gas, and rice
I send a white square (?) to sacrifice the night
One by one
One by one
One by one
One by one
One by one
The lyrics to Banks & Steelz's song "One By One" touches on a number of topics. The song's opening verse appears to reject dependency on external factors to get through life's challenges. The lyrics state that the singer doesn't need "these highs" or "these lows" to numb themselves or lift themselves up. They don't want the insincere smiles of others to wake them up, nor do they want to be mixed up in other people's lives. The singer is all too aware of the trials they are facing and seems to be coming to their own conclusions about how they will navigate them. The song speaks to the duality of life; being in a state of heightened excitement or experiencing significant lows doesn't necessarily lead to a better outcome.
The chorus of the song, "one by one," is repeated several times throughout the song, and it's clear that the singer is counting down some sort of sequence. The second verse of the song strays from the opening verse's reflection on life to a graphic depiction of a battlefield. The song's imagery is stark as it speaks to the horror of war and its aftermath. The song's chorus then marks a change in tone, where the singer talks about the "taste for blood" and how it's "all but surmounted by peace." The song concludes with verse three, where the singer gives the audience a snapshot of their background. They paint a picture of themselves as someone whose life was always on the line, growing up on the streets of Brownsville, and losing nine friends to senseless violence.
Overall, Banks & Steelz's song "One By One" is a powerful, thought-provoking track that touches on a number of important themes. Through its lyrics, the song expresses a sense of agency and introspection, as well as an unflinching portrayal of the brutality of war and life.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't need these highs to raise me
I don't require drugs to motivate me
I don't need these highs to lift me up
I don't need drugs to make me happy
I don't want your smiles to wake me
I don't want to be deceived by false happiness
I don't think that I should slowly go
I don't want to die a slow death
Never ending trials I am facing
I am experiencing a continuous flow of hardships
I don't want their wives to mix me up
I don't want to be involved in someone else's drama
I'm all fucked up today
I'm feeling terrible today
My lucky friend says your luck will end today
My friend predicts ill fortune coming my way
I don't need these lows to numb
I don't want drugs to shield me from pain
I don't want these trials to be raiding me
I don't want to be overwhelmed by hardships
I don't need their noses to nose my heart
I don't want others prying into my emotional state
That's a start
That's just the beginning
Let's get it on
Let's start the action
Ice cold on the battlefield
The battlefield is freezing cold
Twenty below was the wind chill
The wind chill made the temperature even lower
Winchester rifle with the hot lead
Using a Winchester rifle with hot bullets
It burnt a hole in their fucking heads
The bullets seared through their skulls
Bullets ring on the battlefield
The sound of gunfire echoes through the battlefield
The survivor is the one who kills
The person who kills is the one who survives
Now they drown in their own blood
They are now suffocating in their own blood
Men laying where they once stood
Dead bodies are strewn where people used to stand
Through the fire and the gunsmoke
Amidst the chaos of battle
N***** crawling with their back broke
Injured people are struggling to crawl on the ground
And they're hopeful that they don't croak
They want to survive without dying
Bullets spraying and there's no hope
The bullets are flying and there's no chance of survival
From (?) I slay my enemy, drained him of his energy
I defeat my enemy, taking away their strength
I fight for this victory, you die in your iniquity
I fight to win, you deserve to die due to your wrongdoing
Twenty below motherf*****, that's the wind chill
The wind chill is a frigid -20 degrees
A thousand men they come and they fall
A thousand men go to battle, and they die
One by one
Each person dies separately
Call the preacher, the mortician
Summon the religious and funeral professionals
You can't stop this coalition
You can't prevent this group from taking action
It's like I'm fighting against the prohibition
It feels like I'm defying authority
In the sunlight, bong, you see that sword glisten
In the sunlight, you can see the sword sparkling
Now we got this taste for blood
We have gained an appetite for violence
This pain is all but surmounted by peace
The pain we inflicted is negated by the peace we have achieved
Killa Hill, Brownville
Areas known for violence and crime
Never ran, never will
I have never fled a situation and never will
Besmirch the quarter mil
Denigrate a sum of $250,000
Movie cams on y grill
There are movie cameras focused on me
Never jam, never squeal
I have never snitched or backed down
C'mon every wheel
Let's keep rolling
A bag of cash in the stash
There is a lot of money hidden away
Queen on the bills
A woman's face is on the currency
I'm just one of my mom's eight born sons
I'm one of my mother's eight children
One of those nine swordsmen
Like one of the samurai from the movie 'The Magnificent Seven'
Slice your neck with a tongue
I will verbally attack and wound you
Its an Ol' Dirty cousin
Refers to Ol' Dirty Bastard, member of the Wu-Tang Clan
A student of Allah's justice
Someone who seeks righteousness in Islam
Boosting my mind
I'm mentally preparing myself
(?) the atom bomb to crush us
Using a powerful weapon to defeat us
I bathe in the moonlight
I am rejuvenated by the light of the moon
Gain praise in the sunlight
I earn admiration in the daylight
Seen the platoon strike at midnight to the noonlight
Witnessed military action from midnight to noon
Oh what a life
I've experienced so much
With just a butter knife they could hijack your crew (?) interrupt your life
With a simple weapon, they could overtake your group and alter your future
Then raise the price of grass, hash, gas, and rice
They can increase the cost of commodities to control people
I send a white square (?) to sacrifice the night
I offer a symbolic piece to symbolize a sacrifice at night
One by one
Indicates the repetition of a previous thought or action
One by one
Indicates the repetition of a previous thought or action
One by one
Indicates the repetition of a previous thought or action
One by one
Indicates the repetition of a previous thought or action
One by one
Indicates the repetition of a previous thought or action
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ROBERT F. DIGGS, PAUL JULIAN BANKS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Zach Van Harris JR
this could easily be a single.. they should push this one to the forefront
B0B0
This song - and album - is pretty good. definitely growing on me the more I listen. RZA's verses are always quality
Vanya Lyagachev
I can only say that this one is fucking awesome. And yeah, thank you for such a great album!
Shoalin Page
The beat and sound is beautiful
happymusaraña
♥ los mejores, gran música gran pasión en lo que hacen, sencillamente de lo mejor que hay, me transporta a otro mundo su música ,gracias ♥!!!
Esme R
I love this jam! I listen to it everyday! So fkn cool!
AlphaBravoDingo
one of my favorite songs off the album
The Liquid Swordsman
I always loved Rza and the Wu and still nothing changed. still coming hard with everything he does. Ever since this project I've been getting into Paul, I'm trying to find where I can buy the cd for this haha, and I'm looking forward to what's to come
Esme R
I got mine on Amazon!! :)
mudbreedman79
This is unbelievably good.