Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American co… Read Full Bio ↴Donald Eugene Gibson (April 3, 1928 – November 17, 2003) was an American country musician.

Gibson was born in Shelby, North Carolina into a poor working-class family, he dropped out of school in the second grade.

Gibson's first band was called Sons of the Soil, with whom he made his first recording in 1948. Among his greatest hits were "Oh Lonesome Me" (later recorded by both Ray Charles and Neil Young) and "Blue Blue Day" (both No. 1 hits in 1958); "Don't Tell Me Your Troubles" (1959); "Sea of Heartbreak" (1961); "Lonesome No. 1" and "I Can Mend Your Broken Heart" (1962); and "Woman (Sensuous Woman)" (a No. 1 hit in 1972).

Gibson recorded a series of successful duets with Dottie West in the late 1960s, the most successful of which were the No. 2 country hit "Rings of Gold" (1969) and the top 10 hit "There's a Story Goin' Round" (1970). In 1957, Gibson travelled back to Nashville to record "Oh Lonesome Me" for RCA. He and producer Chet Atkins decided to abandon the traditional steel guitar and fiddle and use a new sound featuring only guitars, a piano, a drummer, upright bass, and background singers. It became one of the first examples of what would be called the Nashville Sound and won Gibson a #1 hit; it also set the pattern for a long series of other RCA hits, including “Blue Blue Day” (1958).

A talented songwriter, Gibson was nicknamed "the sad poet" because he frequently wrote songs that told of loneliness and lost love. He wrote and sang "I Can't Stop Loving You", a song that would be recorded by more than 700 artists, most notably by Ray Charles with a pop version in 1962. He also wrote and recorded "Sweet Dreams" that would become a major 1963 crossover hit for Patsy Cline. A great fan, in 1967 Roy Orbison recorded an album of his songs simply titled: Roy Orbison Sings Don Gibson.

Don Gibson was inducted into the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1973 and in 2001 into the Country Music Hall of Fame.

On his passing in 2003, he was interred in the Sunset Cemetery, in his hometown of Shelby, North Carolina.

One Day at a Time
Don Gibson Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm only human, I'm just a woman.
Help me believe in what I could be
And all that I am.
Show me the stairway, I have to climb.
Lord for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus

That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.
Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

Do you remember, when you walked among men?
Well Jesus you know if you're looking below
It's worse now, than then.
Cheating and stealing, violence and crime
So for my sake, teach me to take
One day at a time.

One day at a time sweet Jesus
That's all I'm asking from you.
Just give me the strength
To do everyday what I have to do.
Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus
And tomorrow may never be mine.

Lord help me today, show me the way
One day at a time.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Don Gibson's song One Day at a Time are a plea for help from a woman who is struggling with being human and all the challenges that come with it. She asks for strength and guidance to believe in what she can be and to take things one day at a time. The song references Jesus as someone who has walked among men and who knows how difficult it can be to live in a world filled with cheating, stealing, violence, and crime. The woman acknowledges that yesterday is gone and tomorrow may never come, so she needs the strength and guidance to live in the present moment and not become overwhelmed by the past or future.

The theme of the song is one of hope and perseverance in the face of adversity. It speaks to the human experience of feeling overwhelmed by the challenges of everyday life and the need for guidance from a higher power. The line "one day at a time" is repeated throughout the song as a mantra for the woman to focus on the present and not get lost in regret or worry.

The song has been covered by many artists over the years and has become a popular hymn. It has been embraced by Alcoholics Anonymous and other recovery programs as a song of hope and inspiration for those struggling with addiction. The lyrics are universal in their appeal and can be applied to any situation where someone is feeling overwhelmed and in need of guidance and support.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm only human, I'm just a woman.
Acknowledging that I am flawed and that I am a woman with natural limitations.

Help me believe in what I could be
Inspire me to have hope in who I could become despite my current imperfections.

And all that I am.
Accept me for who I am even though I know I am not perfect.

Show me the stairway, I have to climb.
Guide me along the path I must take in order to reach my goals.

Lord for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time.
Help me to be patient and take things one step at a time, so I don't get overwhelmed and give up.

One day at a time sweet Jesus That's all I'm asking from you.
Requesting from Jesus the strength to take one day at a time and not worry about the future.

Just give me the strength To do everyday what I have to do.
Grant me the courage to face each day's challenges and fulfill my responsibilities.

Yesterday's gone sweet Jesus And tomorrow may never be mine.
Acknowledging that I can't change the past and that I don't know what the future may hold.

Lord help me today, show me the way One day at a time.
Asking God to guide me and help me stay on the path I must take, one day at a time.

Do you remember, when you walked among men?
Asking Jesus if he remembers what life was like when he was here on earth.

Well Jesus you know if you're looking below It's worse now, than then.
Stating that things in the world have gotten worse since Jesus' time.

Cheating and stealing, violence and crime So for my sake, teach me to take One day at a time.
Listing examples of the problems in the world and asking Jesus to help me cope one day at a time.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Willie Nelson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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