In 1974, Sheppard signed with Melodyland (later Hitsville) Records, which was a short-lived country label that was owned by Motown Records, and recorded the song "Devil in the Bottle," which became a No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot Country Singles chart and also became a Top 60 Pop hit in 1975. The follow-up, "Tryin' to Beat the Morning Home," also went to No. 1 and cracked the Top 100 during the summer of 1975. Several subsequent releases during 1975-1977 also made the Top 10 like "Motels and Memories" and "Show Me A Man".
Early in his career, TG became close friends w/Elvis Presley. Elvis gave TG his first tour bus and TG even lived at Graceland for a while during their friendship. A relative of TG's at a performance of his in his hometown of Humboldt, TN gave a first-hand account of TG mentioning the recent passing of his friend, Elvis, beginning to honor him by singing one of Elvis' songs, & having to leave the stage to compose himself before returning to finish the song. TG & Elvis were very close.
In 1977, Sheppard signed with Warner Bros. Records, where he enjoyed his greatest success. Starting with that summer's "When Can We Do This Again," he had a series of fifteen consecutive Top 10 releases, including 10 No. 1 songs. The biggest included "Last Cheater's Waltz" (1979); "I'll Be Coming Back For More" and "Do You Want to Go to Heaven" (1980); "I Loved 'Em Everyone" and "Party Time" (1981); "Only One You," "Finally" and "War is Hell (On the Homefront Too)" (1982). Another major hit came in 1984: "Slow Burn." "I Loved 'Em, Everyone" also reached the top-forty on the U.S. pop singles charts.
In 1985, he moved from Warner Bros. to Columbia Records, where he continued to enjoy success. After just missing the top 20 with "Fooled Around and Fell in Love" (a remake of the Elvin Bishop hit), he returned to the top 10, with his biggest success during this time frame coming with 1986's "Strong Heart" (the last of his 14 No. 1 hits, as it turned out). Three more songs peaked at No. 2 in 1987: "Half Past Forever (Till I'm Blue in the Heart)," "You're My First Lady" and "One for the Money."
Sheppard's success continued until about 1988, when rootsy neo-traditionalist artists began to eclipse more polished pop-country artists like Sheppard on the country charts. He continued to tour and play throughout the 1990s, but did not sign a new record contract, and did not release any new material until his 2002 live release, T.G. Sheppard: Live at Billy Bob's, which found Sheppard performing his classic hits for an enthusiastic crowd at the famed honky tonk in Fort Worth, Texas.
He has a new CD out called "Timeless" which has him singing songs from the big band era. In the mid to late 1980's T.G. Sheppard was an associate sponsor on the #25 Folgers Chevrolet driven on the Nascar Winston Cup circuit by Tim Richmond and Ken Schrader. In 1990 the Folgers sponsorship moved to Roush racing and driver Mark Martin.
TG is married to a fellow song-writer / singer, Kelly Lang, and they currently reside in Hendersonville, TN
Only One You
T.G. Sheppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There ain't much ground that I haven't covered
I've drank it's wine
I've tasted it's pleasures
I've known some love
And I've known some lovers
If there's one lesson in the livin' I've done
There's only one Eiffel Tower
One finest hour
One New York town
One 5th Avenue
There's only one Mona Lisa
One Leaning Tower Of Pisa
One Paris and there's only one you
I've been a king
And I've been a pauper
And everything there is in between
It took some time to know what is timeless
But I've found and learned what that means
I'll never leave you, girl
'Cause I know the catch
Wonders of this world
Will never come with a match
There's only one Eiffel Tower
One finest hour
One New York town
One 5th Avenue
There's only one Mona Lisa
One Leaning Tower Of Pisa
One Paris and there's only one you
There's only one Eiffel Tower
One finest hour
One New York town
One 5th Avenue
There's only one Mona Lisa
One Leaning Tower Of Pisa
One Paris and there's only one you
There's only one Eiffel Tower
One finest hour
One New York town
One 5th Avenue
There's only one Mona Lisa
One Leaning Tower Of Pisa
One Paris and there's only one you
The lyrics to T.G. Sheppard's song Only One You suggest that the singer has lived a well-traveled life, having seen many places and tasted many luxuries. However, despite all of his experiences, the singer has learned that the best things in life only come in ones. He lists many examples of unique landmarks and attractions around the world, such as the Eiffel Tower, Mona Lisa, Leaning Tower of Pisa, and 5th Avenue, emphasizing the point that there is only one of each of these. The song finishes with the affirmation that, despite all the wonders of the world, there is only one person that truly matters - the one he is singing to.
The song is intended to be a tribute to a loved one, suggesting that, despite all the excitement and adventure of the world, nothing compares to the unique love that he has for this person. It could be interpreted that, through all of the travels and all of the unique experiences that he's had throughout his life, he has finally learned that nothing is more valuable than the connections that we have with the people that we love. The repetition of the chorus emphasizes this point, reinforcing the message that there is only one person who truly matters.
Line by Line Meaning
I've seen this world from corner to corner
I have experienced all sorts of things in this world.
There ain't much ground that I haven't covered
There isn't much that I haven't done or any place that I haven't been to.
I've drank it's wine
I have enjoyed the good things that this world has to offer.
I've tasted it's pleasures
I have enjoyed the pleasures that life has to offer.
I've known some love
I have experienced love in my life.
And I've known some lovers
I have been with different people in relationships.
If there's one lesson in the livin' I've done
If there is one thing I have learned from my experiences in this life.
The best things only come along in numbers of one
The most valuable things in life are often singular and cannot be replicated.
There's only one Eiffel Tower
There is only one Eiffel Tower in the world.
One finest hour
There is only one moment in time that stands out as the best.
One New York town
There is only one New York City in the world.
One 5th Avenue
There is only one 5th Avenue street in New York City.
There's only one Mona Lisa
There is only one painting of Mona Lisa in the world.
One Leaning Tower Of Pisa
There is only one leaning tower in Pisa, Italy.
One Paris and there's only one you
There is only one city of Paris in the world, and there is only one person like you in the world.
I've been a king
I have experienced success and power in my life.
And I've been a pauper
I have experienced poverty and hardship in my life.
And everything there is in between
I have experienced everything that falls between those two extremes.
It took some time to know what is timeless
It took me a while to understand what things are truly valuable and will stand the test of time.
But I've found and learned what that means
I have discovered and come to understand the value of things that are timeless.
I'll never leave you, girl
I will never abandon you, my love.
'Cause I know the catch
Because I am aware of the thing that will make me stay with you.
Wonders of this world
The amazing and delightful things in this world.
Will never come with a match
Such wonders cannot be replicated or replaced with anything else.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, CTM Publishing
Written by: BUCKY JONES, MICHAEL GARVIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@matthewlivermanne4441
It's sad to see that there is no more real country music like this still around
@primebeef3938
I heard this today for the first time in over 20 years. It’s like seeing an old friend again. Love this song.
@CheshorcatBeats
I just started listening to country very recently, but I never realized how many amazing songs there are in the country genre... especially old gems like these!!!
@donmeeker55
The old ones are definitely the best ones.
@cherihuss8260
Welcome to our country club, Jonathan Kimball!
@CheshorcatBeats
@Cheri huss Happy to be here! Lol
@jasonbourne1596
It's funny because, everyone acts like country people are ignorant, but we are worldly, just listen to this song 🎵, but you never hear city people sing about the country. We sing about everything.
@piscesgrl01
I am a Black woman raised in Kansas; and I absolutely LOVE this song. I remember hearing this when I was a teenager back in the 80's. Yes, I do think T.G.Sheppard was TOTALLY HOT!😘
@burnesswilliams8908
piscesgrl01 I bat that you are total knock out.
@shellypreisser4961
piscesgrl01 you go girl he is a hottie.