1. An American pop band active… Read Full Bio ↴There are multiple artists with this name
1. An American pop band active in the 1970's
2. An alternative rock solo musician
3. A hard rock band from Australia
4. An electronica musician
1. Looking Glass was an American pop music group of the early 1970s that was part of the Jersey Shore sound. They are best remembered for their million selling 1972 song, "Brandy (You're a Fine Girl)". The group was formed in 1969, at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey, and consisted of four members: Elliot Lurie (lead guitar and vocals), Lawrence Gonsky (piano), Pieter Sweval (bass), Jeff Grob (drums). They became Starz in 1974.
2. The name used by Jim Wallis of My Sad Captains for his alt-indie solo work.
3. Looking Glass is also an exceptional three-piece hard rock band from Canberra, Australia, who deliver a crushing brand of high-volume noise in the vein of Hawkwind, Cactus and Black Sabbath.
https://lookingglass.bandcamp.com
4. Electronica side project of Gareth Hughes from Bristol band, Maps and Legends. (www.soundcloud.com/looking-glass)
One By One
Looking Glass Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I used to pray
And in the evening when I broke-up
I'd have to pay
There's no doubt about it
We each have gone our separate ways
And though you live without it
Don't you think that something stays?
Stays by your window
Yeah, to God you hope
One by one,
One by one,
One by one
In the dark I turn my face
To hide a tear
Leavin' shadows in my place
They cannot hear
Like the meadows in the wind
I'm made of straw
And with my wages paid in sins
Lord, I've tried to crawl
And Lord I've reached each and every mile
That I've tried to run
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one
There's a Shepard in the dark
He stands for Lord
Can he see me in the stark and
Naked morning?
Though your flock has gone astray
They'll be home soon
They'll fall down in the hay
Yes, and sleep 'till noon
With the morning dawn
Well, can't ya see
The first one's coming home
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one,
One by one
The first verse of "One By One" by Looking Glass seems to depict the aftermath of a failed relationship. The singer used to pray in the morning and pay for his mistakes in the evening after breaking up with his loved one. They have gone their separate ways, and the singer acknowledges that something remains even though they're no longer together. The second verse depicts the singer in darkness, trying to hide his tears, as he looks at the world that moves on without him. He's made of straw but has tried to crawl and run away from the feelings he has for his lost love.
The chorus, "One by one," repeats six times, indicating that each person goes through the same experiences of losing a loved one in their ways. The words seem to indicate that every person is affected by such losses, but everyone goes through it in their own way, step by step.
The third verse speaks of a shepherd in the dark who is standing for the Lord. He can see the singer in his stark and naked morning. The shepherd watched over the lost flock and knew all those who strayed would come back home soon. They would sleep until noon, and the first one would come back before dawn. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, emphasizing that everyone has to go through their pain one by one.
Line by Line Meaning
In the morning when I woke-up
Beginning of the day, when I woke up
I used to pray
I used to pray to God
And in the evening when I broke-up
End of the day, when I broke the day's business
I'd have to pay
I had to go through the consequence of the day's business
There's no doubt about it
It's certain
We each have gone our separate ways
We have parted ways
And though you live without it
Even though you are living without it
Don't you think that something stays?
Do you not think that something remains?
Stays by your window
Something remains near your window
Yeah, to God you hope
You hope for God's help
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one
Individually, one at a time
In the dark I turn my face
In the darkness I hide my face
To hide a tear
To hide my tears
Leavin' shadows in my place
Leaving shadows in my absence
They cannot hear
They cannot hear my cries
Like the meadows in the wind
Like the meadows swayed by the wind
I'm made of straw
I am weak and fragile
And with my wages paid in sins
With my earnings spent on bad deeds
Lord, I've tried to crawl
I have tried to move forward
And Lord I've reached each and every mile
I have made progress with each step
That I've tried to run
Things that I have tried to achieve
There's a Shepard in the dark
There is a shepherd watching over me in the dark
He stands for Lord
He represents the Lord
Can he see me in the stark and
Can he see me in the bare and
Naked morning?
Raw and exposed morning?
Though your flock has gone astray
Even though your flock has lost its way
They'll be home soon
They will return soon
They'll fall down in the hay
They will rest in the hay
Yes, and sleep 'till noon
And sleep until noon
With the morning dawn
With the break of the day
Well, can't ya see
Can you not see
The first one's coming home
The first one is returning home
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one,
Individually, one at a time
One by one
Individually, one at a time
Writer(s): Sweval Pieter
Contributed by Lincoln Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.