One By One
Elton John & Tim Rice et. al. Lyrics
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Two can be as bad as one, its the loneliest number since the number one
No is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Yes is the saddest experience you'll ever know
'Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever know
One is the loneliest number even worst then two
Yeah
Now I spend my time just making up rhymes of yesterday
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
Since you went away
Since you went away
(One is the loneliest number since you've gone away)
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
Since you've gone away
It's just no good anymore since you went away
Now I spend my time just making up rhymes of yesterday
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
One is the loneliest number
Since you went away
Since you went away
The opening lines of the song “One by One” by Elton John and Tim Rice et al. explore the meaning behind the number “one” as a sign of loneliness. The first two lines suggest that one is the loneliest number, and that it is more depressing than the number two. The lines then go on to say that “no” is the saddest experience and that “yes” is the saddest experience you’ll ever know. Essentially, this entire section of the song is a contemplation of the various ways in which we experience loneliness or sadness, and how these emotions are related to the idea of being alone.
The song then goes on to repeat the idea that one is the loneliest number, and that it is now even worse than two. The singer repeats that since the person they are singing to went away, everything has become worse. The chorus then goes on to repeat the phrase “One is the loneliest number” several times, emphasizing the importance of this idea. The song ends with a repeat of the chorus and the final line since you went away, thus ending with an apparent acceptance of the state of loneliness that the singer finds themselves in.
Line by Line Meaning
One is the loneliest number that you'll ever do
Being alone is the worst feeling you will ever experience
Two can be as bad as one, its the loneliest number since the number one
Having two people who are no longer close to each other can be as bad as being alone, making it just as lonely as being alone
No is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Being rejected or not getting what you want is the most depressing thing you will go through
Yes is the saddest experience you'll ever know
Agreeing to something that you do not want or do not mean is just as depressing as being rejected or not getting what you want
'Cause one is the loneliest number that you'll ever know
This is reiterated as being alone is the worst feeling
One is the loneliest number even worse than two
Being alone is even worse than having one other person who is not close to you
Its just no good anymore since you went away
Life has become terrible since you left
Now I spend my time just making up rhymes of yesterday
I have nothing but time now that you are gone, and I can only think of the past and reminisce
One is the loneliest number
Reiteration of the fact that being alone is terrible
Since you went away
The loneliness has been compounded since the person left
One is the loneliest number since you've gone away
Reiteration that being alone is terrible, especially now that the person has left
It's just no good anymore since you went away
This reiterates that life has become terrible since the person left
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: HARRY NILSSON, HARRY EDWARD NILSSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind