One Direction (commonly abbreviated to 1D) is a UK-Irish boy group, active … Read Full Bio ↴One Direction (commonly abbreviated to 1D) is a UK-Irish boy group, active from 2010 until going on hiatus in 2016. The original 5-member group was made up of Liam Payne (born 29 August 1993) from Wolverhampton, Louis Tomlinson (born 24 December 1991) from Doncaster, Niall Horan (born 13th September 1993) from Mullingar, Westmeath, Ireland, Harry Styles, (born 1 February 1994) from Holmes Chapel, Cheshire and Zayn Malik, (born 12 January 1993) from East Bowling, Bradford: Zayn Malik announced he was to leave the group on March 25, 2015, and the remainder of the group confirmed they would continue as a 4-piece band. They applied as solo candidates on the 2010 edition of the X Factor, but the judges, after a suggestion by Simon Cowell, put them in a band in London, UK; therefore qualifying for the Groups category.

One Direction's first single, What Makes You Beautiful, received its first airplay on August 10, 2011 and was released a month later on September 11, 2011. It was the fastest selling single of the year 2011 and peaked at #1 on the UK Singles Chart. The boys released their second single Gotta Be You on November 13th peaking at #3 on the UK Singles Chart. Their album Up All Night followed on November 21st reaching #2 on the UK Albums Chart, narrowly missing out on #1 to Rihanna. When their album Up All Night was released in the USA, it debuted at #1 on the Billboard charts, setting the record for the highest-selling debut album by a British boy band.

Tickets for their first headlining UK tour went on sale October 1st 2011 and all 22 dates sold out within 12 minutes.

Malik Exits One Direction (March 2015)
On March 25th, 2015, Zayn Malik announced he was to leave the band. Commenting on his exit from the band, he said "My life with One Direction has been more than I could ever have imagined. But, after five years, I feel like it is now the right time for me to leave the band".

A Band Break-(up?) from March 2016
On Aug 23, 2015, The Sun newspaper in the UK reported that the band would "take a break" from March 2016, after they finish promoting their fifth studio album Made in the A.M.. A source said, "The guys have been together for five years, which is an incredible run for any boy band. They fully deserve to have at least a year to work on their own projects. There is absolutely no bad blood between them and they are all 100% behind the decision. It is definitely not a split and they fully intend to get back together at some time in the future."

Man in the Mirror
One Direction Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm gonna make a change,
For once in my life
It's gonna feel real good,
Gonna make a diference
Gonna make it right...

As I, turn up the collar on
My favorite winter coat

This wind is blowing my mind
I see the kids in the streets,
With not enought to eat
Who am I to be blind?
Pretending not to see their needs

A summer disregard, a broken bottle top
And a one man soul
They follow each other on the wind ya' know
'Cause they got nowhere to go
That's why I want you to know

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I'm asking him to change his ways
And no message could have been any clearer
If you wanna make the world a better place

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
(Na na na, na na na, na na, na nah)

Overall Meaning

The song Man in the Mirror by One Direction is an interpretation of Michael Jackson's original hit. The song talks about a person who is determined to make a change in his life, to start doing something right after many years of being lost. The singer is acknowledging that he needs to make a difference in his life and that he wants to change his ways. He wants to do something that will create a positive impact on the world, and he knows that it starts with himself.

The lyrics depict a moment where the singer turns up the collar on his favorite winter coat, and the wind is blowing his mind. He looks around and sees the misery and suffering of the children on the streets who have nothing to eat. However, he realizes that he cannot pretend not to see their needs and that he should do something about it. He thinks that by starting with himself, he can make a difference, and that's where the song's message truly reveals itself. The song encourages people to take a look at themselves and make a change in their character to make the world a better place.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm gonna make a change,
I plan on modifying my behavior,

For once in my life
This will be the first time I truly attempt to make a difference,

It's gonna feel real good,
When I succeed, the sense of satisfaction will be immense,

Gonna make a difference
I will effect positive change in the world,

Gonna make it right...
I am going to fix what's wrong with the world,

As I, turn up the collar on
While I adjust my jacket collar,

My favorite winter coat
The coat I prefer to wear during the colder months,

This wind is blowing my mind
The chilly breeze I am experiencing is unsettling and affecting my thinking,

I see the kids in the streets,
I observe the children who lack basic necessities in the streets,

With not enough to eat
These children are facing malnutrition and other difficulties,

Who am I to be blind?
I cannot pretend that their plight is not real, and that I do not have a duty to help,

Pretending not to see their needs
Ignorance and apathy will not help me or those who are struggling around me,

A summer disregard, a broken bottle top
People are careless and disrespectful, as evidenced by abandoned and broken items near me,

And a one man soul
I have only one soul, and am only accountable for the actions I take with it,

They follow each other on the wind ya' know
The masses are often swayed by popular opinion and, like the wind, carry each other along,

'Cause they got nowhere to go
Many people are aimless and don't have a clear path forward,

That's why I want you to know
This is why I am communicating with you now,

I'm starting with the man in the mirror
I will begin by looking inward and examining my own behavior,

I'm asking him to change his ways
I will be requiring myself to make changes and adjust my behavior to better serve others,

And no message could have been any clearer
This is the most clear message I can deliver in terms of making the world a better place,

If you wanna make the world a better place
If you're interested in helping make things right,

Take a look at yourself, and then make a change
It is necessary to first look inward and make improvements there before attempting to improve the world around us. (Na na na, na na na, na na, na nah)

Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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