"One Thing is a love song I'd been trying to write to my wife Andi for several years. After a few false starts I think I finally nailed it. I wanted a song that reflected the kind of love I should have for her in terms of being willing both to die for her and, while I live, to give myself up for her."
One Thing
Charlie Peacock Lyrics
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I don't spend my time with the kings and queens, and I don't know if I ever will.
One thing you should know by now...
One thing you ought to know by now...
It never changes, and it's always true: all that I have, all that I am, I give to you.
I know I'm not, oh, the perfect man, and I can't say that I ever will be,
One thing you should know by now...
There's just one thing you ought to know by now...
It never changes, and it's always true: all that I have, all that I am, I give to you.
I would lay down my life for you, take your pain and bear the weight of it,
I would fight for you that you might live,
And I would think, by now, that it's understood: I would die for you,
Oh, you know I would.
All that I have, all that I am.
One thing you should know by now...
There's just one thing you ought to know by now...
It never changes, and it's always true: all that I have, all that I am...
All that I have, all that I am...
I'm telling you one thing, one thing, that's right,
One thing. (one thing)
One thing you should know by now...
There's just one thing you ought to know by now...
One thing you should know by now... (one thing)
One thing you ought to know by now...
It never changes, and it's always true,
I'm telling you one thing, (one thing)
Telling you one thing,
Got to be one thing, (one thing)
One thing, (one thing)
There's one thing you ought to know by now, (one thing)
Whoa, (one thing)
That ought to know... ought to know by now, (one thing)
Charlie Peacock's song "One Thing" expresses a sincere declaration of love and devotion to someone. The opening lines indicate that the singer may not have all the wealth and fame in the world, but the lack of it does not matter to him. He is content with his life and what he has, and not worried about being in the company of kings and queens. The repetition of the phrase "one thing you should know by now" throughout the lyrics emphasizes the message of the song, which highlights the importance of a significant matter that is always true and never changes. The singer professes his love by offering all that he has and all that he is, with the intention of making his loved one feel appreciated.
The second verse then touches on the fact that he is not a perfect person, but he will always be human. The lyrics "take your pain and bear the weight of it," and "I would fight for you that you might live," signify his willingness to sacrifice and protect his loved one. The bridge of the song emphasizes the depth of his love when he declares, "I would die for you, oh, you know I would." Overall, the song portrays a beautiful message of unconditional love and devotion that is heartfelt and touching.
Line by Line Meaning
I might not have all the money in the world, and I can't say that I wish I did,
I may not be the wealthiest person out there and I'm not really interested in being one either.
I don't spend my time with the kings and queens, and I don't know if I ever will.
I don't really care about associating myself with people who are in power and I'm not sure if I ever will.
One thing you should know by now...
There's something that I want to tell you that should be clear to you by now.
One thing you ought to know by now...
This is something you should already be aware of by now.
It never changes, and it's always true: all that I have, all that I am, I give to you.
There's something that will never change and that's the fact that everything that I possess and everything that makes me who I am, I give it all to you.
I know I'm not, oh, the perfect man, and I can't say that I ever will be,
I acknowledge that I'm not a perfect person and I can't really say that I'll ever be one.
But if it's human that you want, human's what you get with me.
If you're looking for someone who's genuine and flawed just like any other human being, then that's who I am.
I would lay down my life for you, take your pain and bear the weight of it,
I would be willing to sacrifice my life for you, absorb your sorrow and help you carry the burden of it.
I would fight for you that you might live,
I would go into battle for you to ensure that you stay alive.
And I would think, by now, that it's understood: I would die for you, Oh, you know I would.
I thought that you would have comprehended it by now but let me make it explicit that I would literally give up my life for you, I mean it.
All that I have, all that I am.
Everything that I own and everything that makes me who I am.
I'm telling you one thing, one thing, that's right, One thing. (one thing)
I need you to understand one thing, just one thing, and that's the message I want to pass across to you.
There's one thing you ought to know by now, (one thing)
You should be aware of the one thing you need to know by now.
Whoa, (one thing)
An expression of surprise or excitement.
That ought to know... ought to know by now, (one thing)
It's imperative that you should know this critical information by now.
Writer(s): Charlie Peacock
Contributed by Jonathan P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.