One By One
Cake Bake Betty Lyrics


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We've attacked and we're waiting to eat
The sides have come (The sides have come undone)
and we're making out

We are not sure what it is that you say
We're waiting for (waiting for our)
Ships as the night turns to day
And we're starved and we're parched
We'll rip into the flesh atop the spines with which we arch

And we'll turn all the runs in our stockings to webs
We'll hoist them in the forest
We'll make them our (Make them our)
Make them our beds

All the clouds are laughing at their lemon lace
They were birthed without a face
Don't sing soft it's what they want
They will turn your stomach into shards

Amongst the hogs stuck in the yard
And when they say they've had enough
They'll take the flowers from the dust
And drop the orchids on your old age

All the girls have gathered 'round now
They're staring at (Staring at)
The stars as they start to go out

One by one you will line them all up
You make a toast (Make a toast)
To all those who've not given up

And we laugh when you choke
We will drag you to the desert
So you're burnt and you're broke

And your wife will draw straws
For the next on the list
One by one but quickly
While the stars they still (The stars they still)
The stars they still exist

It's exactly this that drives us to be mad
We're not quite sure what we've had
You won't want to miss this part
We'll slip into our hunting hats and wait

Around the house and when we pray
We'll ask for mercy for our sins
And all the things we never did alone

I wait for my husband to get home
And when the cops ask me the reason
I will say I don't really know

‘Cause we're all in the shit for sure
And I love to feel your fingers up my skirt
‘Cause we're all in the shit for sure
And I love to feel your fingers up my skirt
Up my skirt





In the desert we will dirty our hands 'till they're clean
And in our beds we'll watch our heads explode before we dream

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Cake Bake Betty's song One By One are dark and cryptic, with frequent allusions to violence, destruction, and chaos. The opening lines declare that "we've attacked and we're waiting to eat," and later on, there are mentions of ripped flesh, shattered stomachs, and burnt and broke individuals. The tone of the song is ominous and foreboding, and the repeated refrain of "one by one" creates a sense of inevitability and dread.


The lyrics use surreal and cryptic imagery to convey the sense of menace and uncertainty. For example, the line "we'll turn all the runs in our stockings to webs / we'll hoist them in the forest / we'll make them our beds" conjures up an image of a twisted, nightmarish world where even the fabric of our clothes can be transformed into something eerie and unsettling. The reference to clouds laughing at their lemon lace is similarly strange and unsettling, creating a surreal and uncanny atmosphere.


Despite the bleakness and darkness of the lyrics, there are hints of resilience and defiance in the imagery of the hunting hats and the reference to waiting and praying for mercy. The song seems to be grappling with the idea that in the face of overwhelming chaos and violence, we can still find ways to survive and to resist. Overall, the lyrics of One By One are complex, multi-layered, and open to a wide range of interpretations, making them a rich and intriguing subject for analysis.


Line by Line Meaning

We've attacked and we're waiting to eat
We have initiated an attack and will now wait to consume our prey


The sides have come (The sides have come undone) and we're making out
The situation has changed, and we are taking advantage of this new opportunity


We are not sure what it is that you say We're waiting for (waiting for our) Ships as the night turns to day
We are confused by your statements and are waiting for clarification as dawn approaches


And we're starved and we're parched We'll rip into the flesh atop the spines with which we arch
We are physically hungry and thirsty and will aggressively attack to satisfy our hunger


And we'll turn all the runs in our stockings to webs We'll hoist them in the forest We'll make them our (Make them our) Make them our beds
We will utilize the imperfections in our clothing to our advantage to create a suitable sleeping arrangement in the forest


All the clouds are laughing at their lemon lace They were birthed without a face Don't sing soft it's what they want They will turn your stomach into shards
The clouds are mocking their own appearance and those singing softly will suffer in pain


Amongst the hogs stuck in the yard And when they say they've had enough They'll take the flowers from the dust And drop the orchids on your old age
We are surrounded by unrefined people and when they are done with you, they will dispose of you and your youth will be gone


All the girls have gathered 'round now They're staring at (Staring at) The stars as they start to go out
A group of girls is observing the fading stars


One by one you will line them all up You make a toast (Make a toast) To all those who've not given up
We will line up people one by one and toast to those who have not given up yet


And we laugh when you choke We will drag you to the desert So you're burnt and you're broke
We find humor in others' distress and will take them to the desert to further harm them


And your wife will draw straws For the next on the list One by one but quickly While the stars they still (The stars they still) The stars they still exist
Your wife will select the next person on our list and they will be dealt with one by one while the stars are still visible


It's exactly this that drives us to be mad We're not quite sure what we've had You won't want to miss this part We'll slip into our hunting hats and wait
Our insanity is driven by our lack of understanding of what we have, and we will prepare to hunt


Around the house and when we pray We'll ask for mercy for our sins And all the things we never did alone
We will request forgiveness for our wrongdoings, including the things we have not done alone


I wait for my husband to get home And when the cops ask me the reason I will say I don't really know
I am waiting for my husband's return and will feign ignorance if questioned by the police


‘Cause we're all in the shit for sure And I love to feel your fingers up my skirt ‘Cause we're all in the shit for sure And I love to feel your fingers up my skirt Up my skirt
We are all in a difficult situation and I derive pleasure from intimate touch


In the desert we will dirty our hands 'till they're clean And in our beds we'll watch our heads explode before we dream
We will work hard even in difficult conditions and will experience mental distress before falling asleep




Contributed by Riley I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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