Steve McConnell has been a worship leader and songwriter in the Messianic Jewish community for over a decade. His other albums include Sim Shalom, and HaMoedim -- The Appointed Times.
One Thing Right
Steve McConnell Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In every moment of my life
It would be to see in you and me
The spark of God’s divinity
And appreciate the artistry
That connects us all as family
If I could get just one thing right
I’d want to see you through those eyes
What would that look like – the next time I saw a man
Begging in the streets, looking for a hand
What would that look like
How would I respond
Would I understand our bond
What would that look like – the next time I saw a kid
Who couldn’t work it out, and did the crazy things he did
What would that look like
To see him at that age
And not the object of my rage?
What would that look like – the next time I saw myself
And the same old mistakes, that drive me crazier than hell?
What would it look like
To see this man
The only way that true love can
The lyrics to Steve McConnell's song One Thing Right focus on the idea of seeing the spark of God's divinity in others and recognizing their artistry. The singer expresses a desire to get one thing right in every moment of their life, which is to view the people around them through this lens of appreciation and understanding.
The singer then presents three different scenarios where this perspective could be applied: seeing a man begging in the streets, a troubled kid, and oneself. In each scenario, the singer questions how they would respond and suggests that viewing each person through the lens of recognizing their divine spark and artistry would change their reaction.
Overall, the song is a call for empathy and understanding towards others and oneself, and a recognition of the inherent worth and beauty in every human being.
Line by Line Meaning
If I could get one thing right
The singer recognizes the importance of focusing on improving one crucial aspect of life
In every moment of my life
The singer feels that assessing and reflecting in every situation is essential
It would be to see in you and me
The singer believes that there is something divine in every individual that should be recognized
The spark of God’s divinity
The artist sees the divine in every human and wants to acknowledge it
And appreciate the artistry
The artist wants to recognize the unique abilities and talents that make every person special
That connects us all as family
The singer acknowledges the bond that connects all people as a human family
If I could get just one thing right
Reiteration of the importance of improving one meaningful aspect of life
I’d want to see you through those eyes
The artist wants to see people in a different light, as if seeing through the eyes of the divine or with a heightened understanding
What would that look like – the next time I saw a man
The artist poses a rhetorical question to reflect on how his improved viewpoint would alter his perception and response to situations
Begging in the streets, looking for a hand
A specific example of seeing someone in need
How would I respond
The singer applies critical thinking to reflect on how his moral perspective would shift
Would I understand our bond
The artist wants to appreciate the bond between all people and how it unites them
What would that look like – the next time I saw a kid
The singer poses another rhetorical question to consider how his perspective would differ in another hypothetical scenario
Who couldn’t work it out, and did the crazy things he did
A specific example of seeing someone who may not have everything figured out and needs guidance
To see him at that age
The singer suggests that seeing things from a fresh perspective can change how you view a situation or person
And not the object of my rage?
The artist wants to move beyond anger and frustration and instead see people with empathy and compassion
What would that look like – the next time I saw myself
The artist poses another rhetorical question to consider how he would react to his own mistakes with a new outlook
And the same old mistakes, that drive me crazier than hell?
The singer acknowledges recurring failures and frustrations in his own life
What would it look like
The singer continues to reflect on how a new perspective would impact his self-perception
To see this man
The artist desires to see himself with a new understanding and compassion
The only way that true love can
The artist suggests that seeing people with empathy and compassion is an expression of true love
Contributed by Adam P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.