* Ben Hudson (vocals & guitar)
* Joy Joseph (vocals & steel drum)
* Torville Jones (piano)
* Raphael Mann (Bass guitar)
* Wilkie Wilkinson (electric drums)
One Specific Thing
Mr Hudson & The Library Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Into the boot of your car
Must have driven for an hour or two
Before I reached Manchester
It mystifies me that you'd wanna bring
A young fellow down so hard
I'm really sorry that I took the car
You made me wanna get out of town
And in the glove compartment
There's nothing but your cassettes
Put one on and I hear that song
That I wrote for you when we met
It mystifies me that you'd wanna bring
A young fellow down so hard
I'm really sorry that I took the car
But I just had to get out of town
You made me wanna get out of town
Oh joy
It wasn't one specific thing that you did
It wasn't one specific thing that you said
(Who)
No, no, no, no, no
All the feelings that I hid
Came to surface in my head
(Who)
No, no, no, no, no
It wasn't one specific thing that you did
It wasn't one specific thing that you said
No, no, no, no, no
All the feelings that I hid
Came to surface in my head
(Who)
No, no, no, no, no
It wasn't one specific thing that you did
It wasn't one specific thing that you said
As we lay there on the bed
No, no, no, no, no
All the feelings that I hid
Came to surface in my head
(Who)
No, no, no, no, no
I'm really sorry that I took the car
(It wasn't one specific thing that you did)
(It wasn't one specific thing that you said)
But I just had to get out of town
I'm really sorry that I took the car
(Who)
But I just had to get out of town
(No, no, no, no, no)
I'm really sorry that I took the car
(All the feelings that I hid came to surface in my head)
Sincerely sorry that I took the car
I'm really sorry that I took the car
(Who)
But I just had to get out of town
You made me wanna get out of town
And realize there's nothing left in this town
You made me wanna get out of town
Sweet town
You made me wanna get out of town
There's nothing left in this town
You made me wanna get out of town
The song reflects on a relationship that has come to an end, with the singer packing up his life into the boot of his partner's car and driving away. He reflects on how his partner had brought him down, and apologizes for taking the car but says he had to get out of town. In the glove compartment, he finds a cassette with a song he had written for his partner when they first met, reminding him of the love they shared. The chorus repeats that it wasn't one specific thing that drove him away, but rather all the feelings he had kept hidden that finally surfaced in his head.
The lyrics capture the complexities of relationships, how they can wear down on someone over time and seemingly small actions can reverberate, leading to a breaking point. The song also showcases the power of music and its ability to bring back memories and emotions. The singer's apology and sense of regret suggest that while he had to leave to take care of himself, he still has love and empathy for his former partner.
Interesting facts about "One Specific Thing":
Line by Line Meaning
So I packed up my life
I gathered all my belongings
Into the boot of your car
And put them in the trunk of your car
Must have driven for an hour or two
We drove for quite a while
Before I reached Manchester
Until we arrived in Manchester
It mystifies me that you'd wanna bring
It's surprising that you would want to make
A young fellow down so hard
A young man feel so bad
I'm really sorry that I took the car
I apologize for taking the car without asking
But I just had to get out of town
I needed to leave town quickly
You made me wanna get out of town
Your behavior prompted me to leave town
And in the glove compartment
Inside the glove box
There's nothing but your cassettes
There are only your cassette tapes
Put one on and I hear that song
I listened to one and heard that song
That I wrote for you when we met
That I wrote for you when we first got together
Oh joy
Oh great
It wasn't one specific thing that you did
It wasn't a single action that you took
It wasn't one specific thing that you said
It wasn't a single thing that you said
(Who)
A vocalization indicating confusion or surprise
All the feelings that I hid
All the emotions I kept to myself
Came to surface in my head
Came to my thoughts and emotions
As we lay there on the bed
While we were lying in bed
No, no, no, no, no
An emphatic expression of disagreement
I'm really sorry that I took the car
I apologize again for taking the car
But I just had to get out of town
I really needed to leave town
Sincerely sorry that I took the car
I truly apologize for taking the car
You made me wanna get out of town
Your actions brought me to the decision to leave town
And realize there's nothing left in this town
And understand that there is nothing for me in this town
Sweet town
Ironically referring to the town
Contributed by Adalyn J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.