The song gained renewed popularity when it was featured in an ad for the Mitsubishi Lancer, with groups of young people in the car seeming to sing along until they could not keep up with the rapid-fire lyrics. It was featured in the third installment of Big Shiny Tunes.
Ed Robertson wrote the ideas for the non-rap 'choruses' with the concept being the structure of a fight where the protagonist knows they are wrong and is just trying to save face. He wanted to come up with a rapping verse for the song but all attempts failed. Bandmate Steven Page suggested he simply improvise the rap as the two commonly did onstage every night. Robertson heeded the advice and set up a video camera. He improvised the song at a slower pace to make rhyming easier and arrived at about four minutes of rap. He sent it to Page who told him not to change a word. Two minutes of the improvising was almost directly compiled (with very little, if any, tweaking) into the verses of the song. As it is improvised, it is not intended to directly have any relation to the plot of the chorus sections. The liner notes from Stunt contain some of the additional lyrics that did not make it into the recorded version.
In recent performances, the band has developed an acoustic, bluegrass version of the song. It is used in a new performance setting they developed in 2003, in which they play acoustically while they stand around and sing into one omni-directional microphone.
Although the song reached the Top 3 of the Billboard Hot 100 on September 22, 1998 and reached #1 on October 6, it peaked at number nine on the Canadian Singles Chart partly because of limited promotion. It also topped the Modern Rock Tracks for five non-consecutive weeks.
Lyrical references
[edit] Verse 1
* Aquaman - a DC Comics superhero
* Chalet Suisse - the French name of Swiss Chalet, a Canadian restaurant chain
* Wasabi - a sushi condiment
* LeAnn Rimes - a country music singer
* Bert Kaempfert - a songwriter, one of the top music producers in Germany
* Vanilla - Referring to the milkshake flavor
* Vertigo - the sensation of spinning or whirling that occurs as a result of a disturbance in balance (equilibrium), also the name of the 1958 Alfred Hitchcock classic film
Verse 2
* "Chickity China the Chinese Chicken - Have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'" - A reference to Busta Rhymes' lyrics in A Tribe Called Quest's "Scenario". It also refers to a strain of bird flu (H5N1) that saw its first human cases, in Hong Kong, at the time the song was being written.[1]
* The X-Files - a TV series
* dans la maison - the French phrase for "in the house"
* Smoking Man - a character from The X-Files
* Harrison Ford - an actor best known for his roles in the Indiana Jones and Star Wars movies.
* Frantic - 1988 movie starring Harrison Ford
* Sting - a solo musician and current member of the '70s-'80s band The Police
* Tantric - a form of yoga, famously joked about by Sting
* Snickers - a type of chocolate bar whose slogan was "Snickers really satisfies"
* Akira Kurosawa - Japanese movie director, best known for The Seven Samurai
* Sailor Moon - an anime cartoon series
* Anime - A popular style of Japanese cartoons.
Outro
* Birchmount Stadium, home of The Robbie - a stadium in Scarborough, Ontario, that serves as the primary stadium for the Robbie International Soccer Tournament, an annual youth soccer tournament that bills itself as "the world's largest annual charitable youth soccer tournament."
The music video was directed by McG and begins with them singing in a royal court, featuring a singing girl on a wind-up pedestal, similar to a scene from the movie Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. During the interlude they make an escape and sing while driving a lookalike of The General Lee from The Dukes of Hazzard (using the numbers 07 instead of 01) and Starsky & Hutch's Ford Gran Torino. The band drives into a suburb, where they perform a concert in front of a trailer, with a female motorcyclist, dressed like Evel Knievel, performing stunts. The video ends with a shot of the cyclist stuck on a tree. The video features Carmit Bachar from the Pussycat Dolls, playing an angel.
"One Week" is in the video game "KR: American Idol Encore" as downloadable content. It is also on the game Karaoke Revolution as a playable song.
"One Week" is on the North American soundtrack of Digimon: The Movie, and appears in the first American Pie and Cruel Intentions films. Remix versions appear in the films 10 Things I Hate About You and Love, Sex and Eating the Bones.
On television, the song appears in episode 3.10 of the television series Veronica Mars, entitled "Show Me The Monkey", and Barenaked Ladies performs the song during a "Rock the Vote" for President Bartlet on an episode of The West Wing.
"Weird Al" Yankovic has parodied "One Week". His version, called "Jerry Springer", features lyrics about The Jerry Springer Show. ApologetiX has also parodied this song on their Biblical Graffiti album. Their version is called "One Way", and claims that Jesus Christ is the one way to Heaven. In January 2009, collegehumor released their own parody of the song.
In a specially-themed week on Kids' WB! in which the Barenaked Ladies appeared, the song was performed with themed lyrics in a promotional spot advertising it.
The lyrics were used in a November 4, 2008 Showcase on The Price Is Right, when they were quickly read by announcer Rich Fields in presenting prizes.
One Week
Barenaked Ladies Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cocked your head to the side and said, "I'm angry"
Five days since you laughed at me
Saying, "Get that together, come back and see me"
Three days since the living room
I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you
Yesterday, you'd forgiven me
But it'll still be two days 'til I say I'm sorry
Hold it now and watch the hoodwink
As I make you stop, think
You'll think you're looking at Aquaman
I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss
I like the sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan
Hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes
Big like LeAnn Rimes, because I'm all about value
Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits
You try to match wits, you try to hold me but I bust through
Gonna make a break and take a fake
I'd like a stinking aching shake
I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors
Gotta see the show, 'cause then you'll know
The vertigo is gonna grow
'Cause it's so dangerous, you'll have to sign a waiver
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad?
Trying hard not to smile, though I feel bad
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can't understand what I mean? Well, you soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of taking off my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me
Threw your arms in the air and said, "You're crazy"
Five days since you tackled me
I've still got the rug burns on both my knees
It's been three days since the afternoon
You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon
Yesterday, you'd forgiven me
And now I sit back and wait 'til you say you're sorry
Chickity China, the Chinese chicken
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'
Watching X-Files with no lights on
We're dans la maison
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one
Like Harrison Ford, I'm getting frantic
Like Sting, I'm tantric
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Kurosawa, I make mad films, 'kay, I don't make films
But if I did they'd have a Samurai
Gonna get a set of better clubs
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs
Just so my irons aren't always flying off the back-swing
Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon
'Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes
That make me think the wrong thing
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad?
Trying hard not to smile, though I feel bad
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
Can't understand what I mean? You soon will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a history of losing my shirt
It's been one week since you looked at me
Dropped your arms to the sides and said, "I'm sorry"
Five days since I laughed at you and said
"You just did just what I thought you were gonna do"
Three days since the living room
We realized we're both to blame but what could we do?
Yesterday, you just smiled at me
'Cause it'll still be two days 'til we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days 'til we say we're sorry
It'll still be two days 'til we say, "Wasabi"
Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie
The Barenaked Ladies’ hit song “One Week” is a playful and witty tune that captures the essence of pop culture and the emotions of a rocky relationship. The lyrics take the listener through a week in the life of a couple who are in the middle of a disagreement. The first verse sets the scene of the initial dispute, “It's been one week since you looked at me, cocked your head to the side and said, ‘I'm angry.’” The catchy chorus, “It's been one week since you looked at me, thrown your arms in the air and said, ‘You're crazy,’” shows the couple's lack of cohesion while their communication attempts to bridge the gap. The second verse shows that humor can bring people together, “How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad? Trying hard not to smile, though I feel bad. I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral. Can't understand what I mean? You soon will.”
Furthermore, the song is filled with pop culture references, creating a fun-filled puzzle for listeners to decode. The lyrics refer to Aquaman, LeAnn Rimes, Bert Kaempfert’s music, Harrison Ford, Kurosawa's films, and Sailor Moon. The tune also includes comedic wordplay with rhyming verses that are often disconnected, hence making it challenging to predict what comes next. The choruses use the number of days passed as the main element in tracking time, adding a playful element.
Line by Line Meaning
It's been one week since you looked at me
It's been a week since you gave me a glance
Cocked your head to the side and said, "I'm angry"
You tilted your head and told me you were mad
Five days since you laughed at me
You laughed at me five days ago
Saying, "Get that together, come back and see me"
You asked me to fix myself and come back to you
Three days since the living room
Three days ago in the living room
I realized it's all my fault, but couldn't tell you
I understood it's all my mistake but couldn't voice it to you
Yesterday, you'd forgiven me
Yesterday, you forgave me
But it'll still be two days 'til I say I'm sorry
I still have two days before apologizing
Hold it now and watch the hoodwink
Listen up and pay close attention
As I make you stop, think
As I make you ponder on what I'm saying
You'll think you're looking at Aquaman
You might think I'm Aquaman
I summon fish to the dish, although I like the Chalet Swiss
I order fish but also love Chalet Swiss
I like the sushi 'cause it's never touched a frying pan
I prefer sushi because it's never been cooked
Hot like wasabi when I bust rhymes
I deliver rhymes with hot intensity like wasabi
Big like LeAnn Rimes, because I'm all about value
I'm all about value like LeAnn Rimes, so I go big
Bert Kaempfert's got the mad hits
Bert Kaempfert is killing it with the hits
You try to match wits, you try to hold me but I bust through
You try to outsmart me or stop me, but I still prevail
Gonna make a break and take a fake
I'll escape and take a false path
I'd like a stinking aching shake
I crave a foul and painful shake
I like vanilla, it's the finest of the flavors
Vanilla is my favorite flavor
Gotta see the show, 'cause then you'll know
You have to witness it to understand
The vertigo is gonna grow
The vertigo will intensify
'Cause it's so dangerous, you'll have to sign a waiver
It's so treacherous that a waiver is required
How can I help it if I think you're funny when you're mad?
I can't help but find you amusing when you're angry
Trying hard not to smile, though I feel bad
Despite feeling guilty, I try not to grin
I'm the kind of guy who laughs at a funeral
I'm the guy who chuckles during a funeral
Can't understand what I mean? Well, you soon will
You don't get it yet, but you will
I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve
I have a habit of being transparent with my thoughts
I have a history of taking off my shirt
I often remove my shirt for no reason
Threw your arms in the air and said, "You're crazy"
You threw your arms up and called me crazy
Five days since you tackled me
You tackled me five days ago
I've still got the rug burns on both my knees
I still have rug burns on both knees
It's been three days since the afternoon
It's been three days since the afternoon
You realized it's not my fault not a moment too soon
You finally understood it's not my fault just in time
And now I sit back and wait 'til you say you're sorry
Now I wait for your apology
Chickity China, the Chinese chicken
Random phrase, referencing chickens from China
You have a drumstick and your brain stops tickin'
You eat a drumstick and your brain seems to cease functioning
Watching X-Files with no lights on
Watching the X-Files with no lights on
We're dans la maison
We're in the house (in French)
I hope the Smoking Man's in this one
Reference to the antagonist of the X-Files
Like Harrison Ford, I'm getting frantic
Feeling panicked like Harrison Ford in some of his movies
Like Sting, I'm tantric
Like Sting, I practice tantric sex
Like Snickers, guaranteed to satisfy
Like Snickers bars, I'm sure to please
Like Kurosawa, I make mad films, 'kay, I don't make films
Like Kurosawa, I make dope films (not really)
But if I did they'd have a Samurai
If I did make films, they would involve samurais
Gonna get a set of better clubs
I'll buy a better set of golf clubs
Gonna find the kind with tiny nubs
I want the kind with small grips
Just so my irons aren't always flying off the back-swing
So my irons don't keep flying off on my back-swing
Gotta get in tune with Sailor Moon
I need to catch up on Sailor Moon
'Cause that cartoon has got the boom anime babes
Because that show has attractive, animated women
That make me think the wrong thing
That are provocative and make me have inappropriate thoughts
Dropped your arms to the sides and said, "I'm sorry"
You put down your arms and apologized
Five days since I laughed at you and said
I laughed at you and said it was expected
"You just did just what I thought you were gonna do"
You did what I anticipated
We realized we're both to blame
We both accepted responsibility
But what could we do?
But there was nothing else to do
Yesterday, you just smiled at me
Yesterday, you smiled at me
'Cause it'll still be two days 'til we say we're sorry
Because we still have two days until we apologize
It'll still be two days 'til we say we're sorry
We still have two days before apologizing again
It'll still be two days 'til we say, "Wasabi"
We still have two days before saying random things
Birchmount Stadium, home of the Robbie
Random phrase, referencing a stadium and its nickname
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ed Robertson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@CCCPx23
One of my most memorable experiences involving the song "One Week" by Barenaked Ladies happened during my college years. It was a warm spring evening, and my friends and I decided to organize a karaoke night at our favorite local bar.
As the night progressed and more people took turns singing their favorite tunes, the energy in the bar was contagious. The atmosphere was filled with laughter, cheers, and the occasional off-key performance. I was enjoying the diverse range of songs being sung when suddenly, "One Week" started playing over the speakers.
Instantly, the crowd erupted with excitement. It seemed like everyone knew the song and couldn't resist joining in. The familiar fast-paced lyrics of "One Week" echoed throughout the bar, and people started singing and dancing along, completely caught up in the infectious rhythm.
Encouraged by the enthusiastic response, I decided to take the stage and give it a shot. I grabbed the microphone and started singing along with all my might. The lyrics flew by at lightning speed, and I did my best to keep up with the rapid-fire delivery, even though some parts were a bit of a tongue twister.
To my surprise, as I sang, more and more people joined in, creating an impromptu chorus. Strangers became instant collaborators, shouting out the catchy lines and harmonizing with me. It was a fantastic moment of unity and shared joy as we all came together through the power of music.
By the time the song ended, the entire bar was buzzing with energy and excitement. Strangers were high-fiving and hugging, sharing in the collective experience we had just created. The atmosphere remained vibrant throughout the night, with the positive energy lingering long after "One Week" had faded into the background.
That evening, the song "One Week" became a symbol of the incredible connections that can be forged through music. It reminded me of the power of a catchy tune to bring people together, even if just for a fleeting moment. Whenever I hear "One Week" now, I'm transported back to that unforgettable night of spontaneous karaoke and the magic it brought to our lives.
@Typhlosion4President
Anyone who can recite all of the lyrics to this song wins my respect.
@Lolidella82
When this song came out I seriously practiced it over and over again until I could sing the whole thing. I still can all these years later haha
@pvtrichter8816
Typhlosion4President you do need some considerable diction skills to recite this one!! [I'M SURE THERE'S A CHALLENGE FOR THIS SOMEWHERE ON THE NET!!] KEEP GOOD MUSIC ALIVE!!
@ShiningNova1
Typhlosion4President It looks impressive but really, it's easy. The song nly goes for about 2 min 30 secs and half of that is the chorus and pre-chorus which only changes a bit.
@pvtrichter8816
Shining Nova right !! your on then my next challenge is to cover this!! enjoy the morning!
@EsperTinaVI
All I know is "it's been one week since you looked at me" and "I have a tendency to wear my mind on my sleeve, I have a habit of taking off my shirt". I like the song more for the Digimon nostalgia.
@SuperRaedizzle
My life goal is knowing all the words to this
@thalia1
Random first like on someone with 1.5 mil
@inanay7
Rea, honestly same! Here I am listening to one of my favorite songs and decided to browse the comments and I’m glad I did. I have been a silent viewer on your channel for a few years now and love it! Best wishes and hopefully we can master these lyrics one day
@Mr.Fulton
I've already memorized it. My goal is singing it smoothly all the way through without tripping over my own tongue.