One Step Forward
Paul Young Lyrics


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I'm sending you these letters
Across miles and miles of water
Tell Stevie that I saw his friend
And the mother that I love her
Well, I know I haven't been here long
And I know it seems much longer
But every letter you write back
Makes me a little stronger
Everybody here has been as many years as me
But only now they realize what they are here to see
So I'll take my pen and I write you a note
And send it off in a letter
And we'll hope that writing my troubles down
Will make me feel better
One step forward and one step left
I raise my gun and I take my aim
I'm just a pawn in the government's game
The first day I was posted
Was the longest I have known
I can't believe the bitterness
The human heart can show
The hatred of another is a blindness in their eyes
All I do is stand between them
Wondering why
One step forward and one step left
I raise my gun and I take my aim
I'm just a pawn in the government's game
Little boy stands with stones in hand
And cold eyes of steel
I wish I could throw my riffle down
And tell them how I feel
Well, I know I haven't been here long
And I know it seems much longer




But every letter you post to me
Makes me a little stronger, stronger

Overall Meaning

The song "One Step Forward" by Paul Young tells a story of a soldier who is far away from home and is sending letters to his loved ones. He talks about his experiences being in the military and the emotions he's feeling. He mentions writing letters to tell Stevie that he saw his friend and to tell his mother that he loves her. With every letter he receives from home, he feels a little bit stronger. He talks about how he and his fellow soldiers have been deployed for many years and are only now realizing what they're supposed to see. He writes that he's just a pawn in the government's game, suggesting that he doesn't have much control in the situation. He also expresses the frustration he feels when he witnesses the hatred and blindness of people towards each other, wanting to throw his rifle down and tell them how he feels.


The lyrics of this song are a reflection of the struggles and emotions that soldiers feel while serving their country. Being away from home, witnessing the destruction of war, and being a pawn in a larger political game can be overwhelming. The song speaks to the importance of communication and the emotional support that letters and messages from loved ones can offer.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm sending you these letters
I communicate with you by writing letters


Across miles and miles of water
Despite the distance between us, I send my letters to you


Tell Stevie that I saw his friend
Relay my message to Stevie that I saw his friend


And the mother that I love her
Acknowledge to my mother that I love her


Well, I know I haven't been here long
Although I haven't been here for much time


And I know it seems much longer
It feels like I've been here for ages


But every letter you write back
I gain strength from each letter that you send in response


Makes me a little stronger
It helps me get through each day a little better


Everybody here has been as many years as me
Everyone around me has the same military service years as me


But only now they realize what they are here to see
Now, they realize the true purpose of their being here


So I'll take my pen and I write you a note
I'll pick up my pen to write a message for you


And send it off in a letter
I'll send it to you through a letter


And we'll hope that writing my troubles down
Hopefully, writing down my problems will help me cope better


Will make me feel better
It can relieve some stress and emotional burden


One step forward and one step left
I move one step ahead and one step to the side


I raise my gun and I take my aim
I lift my gun and target my aim


I'm just a pawn in the government's game
I'm nothing but a mere instrument utilized by the government


The first day I was posted
The first day I arrived at this place


Was the longest I have known
It seemed to be the longest day of my life


I can't believe the bitterness
I can hardly accept how resentful people can be to each other


The human heart can show
How truly unkind the human heart can be at times


The hatred of another is a blindness in their eyes
The hatred of other people can cause them to be narrow-minded


All I do is stand between them
I'm just standing between these two parties


Wondering why
And constantly questioning why this is happening


Little boy stands with stones in hand
A young boy stands with stones clutched in his hand


And cold eyes of steel
With a fierce and indifferent expression


I wish I could throw my riffle down
I truly desire to abandon my gun and walk away


And tell them how I feel
And to convey my true thoughts and emotions to them


But every letter you post to me
Every letter that you send to me


Makes me a little stronger, stronger
Encourages and motivates me to keep going




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: IAN KEWLEY, PAUL YOUNG

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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