Ciara Princess Wilson is an American singer. Born in Fort Hood, Texas, her … Read Full Bio ↴Ciara Princess Wilson is an American singer. Born in Fort Hood, Texas, her family eventually settled in Atlanta, Georgia, where she joined the girl group Hearsay. She later signed a publishing deal and befriended producer Jazze Pha, who recorded demos that would appear on her debut album. With his help, Ciara signed a record deal with LaFace Records.

In 2004, Ciara released her debut studio album, Goodies. It was certified triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and garnered two nominations at the 48th Annual Grammy Awards. In 2006, Ciara released her second studio album, The Evolution, which reached number one in the U.S. and was certified platinum.

Ciara's third studio album, Fantasy Ride (2009) was less successful than her first two albums. However, it produced the international top-ten single "Love Sex Magic (feat. Justin Timberlake)", which received a Grammy Award nomination for Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals. The following year, Ciara released her fourth studio album, Basic Instinct, which included the R&B top-five single "Ride (feat. Ludacris)", but was met with low sales, continuing a downward trend in her commercial performance. Ciara signed a new record deal with Epic Records in 2011. In 2013, she released her fifth studio album, Ciara, which spawned the R&B top-ten single "Body Party". Her sixth album, Jackie (2015), included the singles "I Bet" and "Dance like We're Making Love". Her seventh album, Beauty Marks (2019), included the hit single "Level Up". Ciara's awards include three BET Awards, three MTV Video Music Awards, three MOBO Awards and one Grammy Award. As of 2019, Ciara's worldwide sales total over 45 million.

In 2006, Ciara made her film debut in All You've Got, and later appeared in the films Mama, I Want to Sing! (2012) and That's My Boy (2012). In 2013, she had a recurring role in the US TV series, The Game. In 2016, Ciara signed a signed a modeling contract with IMG. That year, she became a Global Brand Ambassador for the cosmetics giant Revlon and she married quarterback Russell Wilson.

Only One
Ciara Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I cried out but you didn't hear me
Cried words I didn't know I knew
A lit a light, you still didn't see me
I swore I shine my way to you

Kiss me, hold me, touch me, tease me
You make love and you not easy
If only you could see

Could see what you do to me
I ain't second to nobody
Baby you should understand, it's
Either them or me

'Cause I'm not gonna be your one and only
Just when I'm the only one around
Your one and only
Just when I'm the only one
The only one around

Why do I, do I still want you (do I still want you)
After all of the things you do
I know you won't be committed to me
Tell me why I choose to stay
There ain't no one but myself to blame, oh

Kiss me, hold me, touch me, tease me
You make love and you not easy
If only you could see
Could see what you do to me
I ain't second to nobody
Baby you should understand it's
Either them or me

'Cause I'm not gonna be your one and only
Just when I'm the only one around
Your one and only
Just when I'm the only one
The only one around

Oh, guess I do it to myself boy
Oh, guess I do it to myself
Your one and only
Your one and only
One and only

'Cause I'm not gonna be your one and only
Just when I'm the only one around
Your one and only

Just when I'm the only one
The only one around

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ciara's song Only One convey a situation where Ciara is feeling unappreciated and undervalued in a relationship. The opening lines reveal her frustration in trying to make her feelings known to her partner, who appears to be emotionally unavailable. She feels she's tried everything to get his attention, even lighting a metaphorical light to guide him towards her. However, he doesn't see her effort or her emotions.

In the chorus, Ciara expresses her disappointment in being treated as an option rather than a priority. She is tired of being the only one there for him when he needs her, only for him to leave when other options come around. She is firm in her decision not to be a consolation prize or someone he can turn to when he pleases. The verse explains that despite his lack of commitment, she chooses to stay, which she acknowledges is a result of her own choices.

The song reveals the challenges and the emotional toll of being in an unstable relationship. Ciara's emotional vulnerability is relatable to anyone who has felt neglected and undervalued in a relationship. The song's message is clear, demanding the respect and attention that the artist deserves to be "one and only."

Line by Line Meaning

I cried out but you didn't hear me
I tried to express my feelings to you, but you didn't listen to me.

Cried words I didn't know I knew
I expressed emotions that I didn't even know I had.

A lit a light, you still didn't see me
I tried to get your attention in any way possible, but you still didn't notice me.

I swore I shine my way to you
I thought that if I showed you how I felt, you would finally realize how much I care about you.

Kiss me, hold me, touch me, tease me
I want you to show me affection, but I don't want it to be easy for you.

You make love and you not easy
You make me work for your attention, and it's not easy to win you over.

If only you could see, could see what you do to me
If you could only see how much you affect me, maybe you would understand how much I care about you.

I ain't second to nobody
I won't settle for being your second choice.

Baby you should understand, it's either them or me
You need to make a decision between me and anyone else you may have feelings for.

'Cause I'm not gonna be your one and only just when I'm the only one around
I won't be your go-to option only when you don't have anyone else around.

Why do I, do I still want you (do I still want you)
Despite everything, I still have feelings for you.

After all of the things you do
Even after all the times you've let me down.

I know you won't be committed to me
I understand that you aren't ready to commit to me.

Tell me why I choose to stay
I question why I still want to be around you even though you don't reciprocate my feelings.

There ain't no one but myself to blame, oh
I am the only one responsible for my own feelings and decisions.

Oh, guess I do it to myself boy
I acknowledge that I put myself in this situation and I have to accept the consequences.

Your one and only
You want me to be your one and only, but you aren't willing to do the same for me.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Chloe C. Angelides, Ciara Princess Harris, Saul Alexander Castillo Vasquez, Timothy Jamahli Thomas

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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