Gladys Knight & The Pips were a soul and rnb family musical act from Atlant… Read Full Bio ↴Gladys Knight & The Pips were a soul and rnb family musical act from Atlanta, Georgia, United States, active from 1953 to 1989. The group is best known for their string of hit singles on Motown's 'Soul' record label and Buddah Records from 1967 to 1975, including the songs "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1967) and "Midnight Train to Georgia" (1973). The longest-lived incarnation of the act featured Gladys Knight on lead vocals alongside backup singers 'The Pips', which included her brother Merald "Bubba" Knight as well as their cousins Edward Patten and William Guest.

Gladys Knight, born on May 28, 1944, developed her singing style while singing with her family at Baptist church functions. Though the group first released recordings in 1958, their career really got started when Motown founder Berry Gordy witnessed them perform at Harlem’s Apollo Theater in 1966 and felt very impressed. With a career following spanning decade after decade, featuring many hits, the group has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland, Ohio.

One Less Bell To Answer
Gladys Knight & The Pips Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

One less bell to answer
One less egg to fry
One less man to pick up after
I should be happy

But all I do is cry
(Cry, cry, no more laughter)
I should be happy

(Oh, why did he go)

I only know that since he left
My life's so empty
Though I try to forget
It just can't be done

Each time the doorbell rings
I still run
I don't know how in the world
To stop thinking of him

'Cause I still love him so
I spend each day the way I start out
Crying my heart out
(One less bell to answer)

I should be happy
(One less egg to fry)
One less man to pick up after
No more laughter, no more love

Since he went away
(One less bell to answer)
(One less egg to fry)
One less man to pick up after

No more laughter, no more love

Since he went away
He went away

Overall Meaning

The song "One Less Bell To Answer" by Gladys Knight & The Pips tells the story of a woman who is struggling to move on after a breakup. Despite the fact that her ex-partner has left her with one less bell to answer, one less egg to fry, and one less man to pick up after, she finds herself unable to feel happy. Instead, she spends her days crying and longing for her former love. According to the lyrics, the woman's life feels empty since her ex left, and she can't seem to forget about him. Each time the doorbell rings, she expects it to be him, and she can't shake off the thoughts of him despite trying.

The lyrics showcase how heartbreak can leave someone feeling broken and unable to move forward. The woman in the song struggles to find joy in her everyday life and is consumed by thoughts of her ex-partner. The song's melody and soulful delivery by Gladys Knight & The Pips add an emotional depth to the lyrics, making them all the more poignant, and relatable.

Line by Line Meaning

One less bell to answer
One less thing to worry about now that the person who used to ring the bell is gone

One less egg to fry
One less task to do since the person who used to eat the egg is not there anymore

One less man to pick up after
One less person to clean up after now that the man is gone

I should be happy But all I do is cry
Although I should be happy because the person left, I am actually sad and crying

(Cry, cry, no more laughter)
I am cry uncontrollably and there is no more happiness or laughter in my life

I should be happy (Oh, why did he go)
Even though I should be happy, I can't help but wonder why the person left

I only know that since he left My life's so empty
Ever since the person left, my life feels lonely and unfulfilling

Though I try to forget It just can't be done
Even though I try to forget the person, I can't seem to move on from missing them

Each time the doorbell rings I still run
Whenever the doorbell rings, I still hope that it is the person who left and I run to answer it

I don't know how in the world To stop thinking of him
I don't know how to stop thinking about the person who left

'Cause I still love him so I spend each day the way I start out Crying my heart out
I still love the person who left, and every day I start out crying and feeling heartbroken

(One less bell to answer) I should be happy
Although there is now one less thing to worry about, I should be happy but I am not

(One less egg to fry) One less man to pick up after No more laughter, no more love
The person who left brought joy and love, and now that they are gone there is no more laughter or love

Since he went away (One less bell to answer) (One less egg to fry) One less man to pick up after
Since the person left, there is now one less thing to worry about and one less person to take care of

No more laughter, no more love Since he went away He went away
Since the person left, there is no more joy or love in my life and I am left with only sadness

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Burt F. Bacharach, Hal David

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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