The group was formed in Minneapolis by Steven Greenberg, who wrote and produced all of the group's music, and who also played several musical instruments. The lead singer and saxophonist was Cynthia Johnson, and the rest of the group consisted of a changing group of session musicians, including guitarist David Rivkin.
They achieved some popularity during the late 1970s. The group released their debut album Mouth to Mouth in early 1979 (although original pressings of the album actually have 1979 or 1980 listed as the copyright date). Their hit from this album, "Funkytown" spent four weeks at Number one on both the Billboard Hot 100 and on the Hot Dance Music/Club Play charts in the United States and was awarded a platinum record. It reached number two in the United Kingdom and was a hit throughout the world. Their further singles failed to match their initial success (their only other Hot 100 entry was "Rock It", which peaked at #64), however they had more dance hits throughout the 1980s, including "How Long?" (originally a big hit for Ace) in 1981, which reached #4 on the U.S. dance chart. Lipps Inc. ceased in 1983 with the full-length album, 4 in 1983. Starring in 1984, Dobson Productions was a television label until 1993, settled between Lipps Inc. and The Fugees.
The One
Lipps Inc. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Every single day?
Where have you been hidin'?
Have you lost your way?
You can have my ice cream
So lick it when you like
Bet I'll never see ya I'll give it all in stride
Well, I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be,
Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Well, I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be,
Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Everybody tells me
What I ought to do
They say that I should leave here
And get away from you
I can't kick the feelin'
Like lovin' you's a crime
Cuz thinkin' 'bout your lovin'
Is wastin' all my time
And I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be,
Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
And I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be, Never gonna be the one...
What have you been doin'
Every single day?
Where have you been hidin', Sugar?
Have you lost your way?
You can have my ice cream
So use it when you like
Bet I'll never see ya,
I'll give it all in stride
And I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be,
Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
And I know I'm never gonna be,
Never gonna be, never gonna be,
Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Never...
The lyrics of Lipps Inc.'s song The One are about unrequited love and the frustration that comes with it. The singer is asking the object of their affection where they have been and what they have been doing, indicating a strong interest in their whereabouts. The offer of ice cream is a symbol of their affection and willingness to provide for their crush, but the line "Bet I'll never see ya" suggests that the feelings are not reciprocated. The singer cannot help but love the person and thinks about them constantly, even though everyone else is telling them to move on.
The repetition of the lines "Well, I know I'm never gonna be, never gonna be, never gonna be, never gonna be the one" emphasizes the singer's realization that they will never be with the person they desire. The chorus serves as a reminder and an acceptance of this fact. The line "like lovin' you's a crime" suggests that the singer feels guilty for having feelings for someone who doesn't feel the same way. The final repetition of the chorus confirms the singer's belief that they will never be the one for the person they love.
Line by Line Meaning
What have you been doin'
Asking what the person has been doing every day.
Every single day?
Asking if this has happened consistently.
Where have you been hidin'?
Wondering if the person has been avoiding them.
Have you lost your way?
Asking if the person is lost or confused.
You can have my ice cream
Offering something to the person.
So lick it when you like
Telling them they can have it whenever they want.
Bet I'll never see ya
Predicting that they won't be around to take up the offer.
I'll give it all in stride
Accepting that the situation is what it is.
Well, I know I'm never gonna be, Never gonna be, never gonna be, Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Admitting that they won't be the person that the other is looking for.
Everybody tells me
Explaining that others have been giving them advice.
What I ought to do
Saying that people have been giving suggestions.
They say that I should leave here
Stating that people are suggesting that they leave the situation.
And get away from you
Clarifying that the advice is to distance oneself from the other person.
I can't kick the feelin'
Admitting that they can't shake their feelings for the other person.
Like lovin' you's a crime
Comparing their love to something wrong or illegal.
Cuz thinkin' 'bout your lovin'
Admitting that they think about the person's love for them.
Is wastin' all my time
Suggesting that this is taking up too much of their time and energy.
And I know I'm never gonna be, Never gonna be, never gonna be, Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Reiterating that they won't be the person the other is looking for.
Where have you been hidin', Sugar?
Using a term of endearment to ask where the person has been.
And I know I'm never gonna be, Never gonna be, never gonna be, Never gonna be the one (For ya baby)
Repeating the previous line.
Never...
Ending the song with a simple statement.
Contributed by Alexandra T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@MukaMoko
Thanks to this song we have DJ Falcon's "Unplugged"
Great stuff!!!
@Pulse952
DJ Falcon based god :D
@Jona_001
2:06
@wesgleeson
🇫🇷;)
@phoenixcatowo5256
2:05 :)
@funkerman7
This song is full of sample-able material. You can successfully sample pretty much everything
@BKN_Studios
wait until this man learns what unplugged by dj falcon is
@RyanIsCool2010
2:05 Unplugged
@daphunkyzzindahouse
i like how this sample is unsuspected, you wouldn't believe it's from the same song, many of the songs back then had some sort of unrelated sequence almost made to be sampled later on lol
@giordanomarotto1488
Thanks to Db Boulevard Believe that sampled Dj Falcon Unplugged that sampled The One by Lipps Inc.❤