New touring members joined after the album was recorded: Sean Woolstenhulme (guitars), Billy Mohler (bass), and Nate Wood (drums). Band and Kamin returned in June 2004 with Two (also known as 'II'). New touring musicians were hired: Daniel Damico (guitars), Justin Derrico (gutars), Corey Britz (bass), and Justin Meyer (drums). Despite radio-friendly tracks and an enthusiastic fan response, the album failed to meet commercial expectations, leading to tension between the group and the label.
In June 2005, the band announced they were going on hiatus, and frontman Alex Band announced plans to publish a solo album. Alex finished recording his album, entitled We've All Been There, and released it in May 2010, with the first single "Tonight" released the preceeding February. Alex also pre-released the album through a bracelet line called Blackstar Bracelets, which can be purchased at a number of department stores in the U.S. as well as online.
The Calling reformed in 2013, with a new line-up still featuring Alex Band, and this incarnation of the band played its first gig on August 16 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. The otherwise joyous event was marred by a kidnapping incident involving Band, with the musician beaten-up and then dumped after being mugged. Having recovered, the group is currently touring for its cult fanbase.
One by One
The Calling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All is calm there on the street
The shadows pass him hung right over
The pain on his face he knew he'd keep
His hair is long, and it's twisted, it's twisted
Around the smile spread cheek to cheek
Another child, another soul, grabs a hold
One by one
We stand beneath the sun
With arms high open wide
Two by two
He's getting you
To watch him as he leaves this life he knew
How much anger is set aside
As each one of us cries?
Red light they come and they take him away
In the thoughts, he'll be better some day
Tied tight, can't see out your eyes
That he's sure to shine, sure to shine
In this deep dark, fucked up, played out, reality show
So, who's the man with the plan
Eating up all that he can?
Don't you see, don't you see
One by one
We stand beneath the sun
With arms high open wide
Two by two
He's getting you
To watch him as he leaves this life he knew
Do you ever think that things are meant to be?
I know we all have our reasons why
And now the power of one human being
Has gone and changed so many lives
One by one
We stand beneath the sun
With arms high open wide
Two by two
He's getting you
To watch him as he leaves this life he knew
One by one
We start to come, ohh yea
Two by two
He's getting through to, ohh
One by one we stand, we stand
Yea we stand, over, over, you
The lyrics of The Calling's song One By One bring to mind a somber and distressing scenario. The singer of the song is a man standing outside a house with a blooming yard. The juxtaposition of the peaceful and calm exterior with the misery and pain within is striking. The man's expression bears the weight of the knowledge of the suffering within, and even as he stands there, the shadows hang over him, a symbol of the darkness that looms over the situation. The man's hair is long and twisted around a smile that belies the pain and misery he's grappling with. He watches as another child takes metal to end their suffering, one by one. There is a sense of resignation and despair that permeates the lyrics.
The chorus of the song highlights the sheer helplessness of the situation. The singer speaks about how one by one, people stand together beneath the sun with open arms, but each one is helpless to make a difference. All they can do is watch as people like the man in the yard take drastic measures to escape their pain. The second stanza mentioned the anger that must be put aside as people cry, the thought that the pain will end someday, and the idea that the world is a flawed, messed up reality show. The final verse features a note of hope, where the singer talks about how one human being can make a world of difference, how they can change lives and leave behind a legacy.
Line by Line Meaning
He stands alone outside the blooming yard
The person is alone, standing outside while everything around them is blossoming
All is calm there on the street
The street is peaceful with no activity happening
The shadows pass him hung right over
The shadows pass over him, weighing down on him
The pain on his face he knew he'd keep
He knows he's going to carry the pain on his face with him
His hair is long, and it's twisted, it's twisted
His hair is long and twisted or tangled
Around the smile spread cheek to cheek
He has a smile on his face that spreads from cheek to cheek
Another child, another soul, grabs a hold
Another child or soul grabs hold of the metal that will end their life
To the metal that will end his misery
The metal is what will end his misery or pain
One by one
Each individual is affected
We stand beneath the sun
We stand beneath the sun, suggesting a new day or beginning
With arms high open wide
Our arms are open wide, suggesting of acceptance or embrace
Two by two
Two individuals are close together
He's getting you
He's drawing your attention
To watch him as he leaves this life he knew
He wants you to see him leave this life he knew
How much anger is set aside
How much anger is being put to the side
As each one of us cries?
How much anger is being put to the side as each of us cries?
Red light they come and they take him away
An ambulance comes and takes him away with their red light on
In the thoughts, he'll be better some day
We hope or believe that he'll be better some day
Tied tight, can't see out your eyes
Being tied up so tight that you can't see out your eyes
That he's sure to shine, sure to shine
Though tied up, there's the hope that he'll shine
In this deep dark, fucked up, played out, reality show
Referring to the world as it is, as a messed up reality show
So, who's the man with the plan
Questioning who is the one with a plan
Eating up all that he can?
Whoever has a plan is using up all that is available to them
Don't you see, don't you see
Asking if we can't see what is happening
Do you ever think that things are meant to be?
Questioning if things happen because they are meant to be
I know we all have our reasons why
Everyone has their own reasons for why things happen
And now the power of one human being
The power of one person
Has gone and changed so many lives
Has changed the lives of many individuals
One by one we start to come, ohh yea
One by one, individuals start to come together
Two by two
Two individuals come together at a time
He's getting through to, ohh
He's getting through to each and every individual
One by one we stand, we stand
One by one, we stand together
Yea we stand, over, over, you
We stand over everything that's happened
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AARON KAMIN, ALEX BAND
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind