Not The One
The Offspring Lyrics


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I'm not the one who made the world what it is today
I'm not the one who caused the problems started long ago
But now I deal with all the consequence that troubles our times
I carry on and never once have even questioned why

Yeah, I'm innocent, the weight of the world is on my shoulders
Yeah, I'm innocent, the battles started are far from over, yeah, oh
We're not the ones who leave the homeless in the streets at night
We're not the ones who've kept minorities and women down
Still we grow and then the problems they become our own
We carry on without even realizing why

Yeah, we're innocent, the weight of the world is on our shoulders
Yeah, we're innocent, the battles left us are far from over, yeah, oh

Yeah, we're innocent, the weight of the world is on our shoulders
Yeah, we're innocent, the battles left us are far from over
Yeah, we're innocent, the weight of the world is on our shoulders
Yeah, we're innocent, the battles left us are far from over, yeah

We're not the ones whose pollution blackened our skies and ruined our streams
We're not the ones who made the nuclear bombs that threaten our lives
We're not the ones who let the children starve in faraway lands
We're not the ones who made the streets unsafe to walk at night

And even if we try and not become so overwhelmed
And if we make some contribution to the plight we see




Still our descendants will inherit our mistakes of today
They'll suffer just the same as we and never wonder why

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Offspring's song "Not the One" depict the frustration and helplessness experienced by individuals who feel burdened by the consequences of societal problems they did not create. The song starts with the singer asserting that they are not responsible for the state of the world and the issues that have plagued it for a long time. However, they still have to live with the consequences of those problems without ever asking why things are the way they are.


The chorus of the song highlights the contradictory feelings of innocence and responsibility that the individual feels. They know they are not to blame, yet they still carry the weight of the world on their shoulders. In the second verse, the singer broadens this perspective to include society as a whole. Minorities, women, and the homeless are left in dire situations, and society grows and changes without even realizing why the problems continue to exist.


The last verse is a call to action, encouraging people to make a contribution to addressing the problems, even if it seems overwhelming. However, the song ends on a bleak note, suggesting that the mistakes of today will continue to haunt future generations, and they will suffer the consequences just as we are now. The lyrics of "Not the One" are poignant and powerful, expressing the frustration many people feel about their lack of agency in shaping the world around them.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm not the one who made the world what it is today
I am not responsible for creating the current state of the world


I'm not the one who caused the problems started long ago
I did not kickstart the issues that arose a long time ago


But now I deal with all the consequence that troubles our times
However, I am now facing the negative effects of those problems that trouble us today


I carry on and never once have even questioned why
I continue to go about my business without questioning the reason behind the issues


We're not the ones who leave the homeless in the streets at night
We are not the group responsible for abandoning those without homes on the streets at night


We're not the ones who've kept minorities and women down
We did not contribute to the oppression of minorities and women


Still we grow and then the problems they become our own
However, we continue to develop and the issues begin to impact us as well


We carry on without even realizing why
We continue to live our lives without fully understanding the cause of the problems


We're innocent
We are not guilty of causing the problems we are facing


But the weight of the world is on our shoulders
Despite our innocence, we still bear the burden of the world's issues


But the battles started are far from over
The fights that began long ago are still ongoing


We're not the ones whose pollution blackened our skies
We did not contribute to the pollution that darkened our skies


And ruined our streams
Nor did we cause damage to our streams


We're not the ones who made the nuclear bombs
We did not create the nuclear weapons that threaten our existence


That threaten our lives
Nor are we the cause of the threats to our lives


We're not the ones who let the children starve in faraway lands
We are not responsible for allowing children to go hungry in distant places


We're not the ones who made the streets unsafe to walk at night
We did not create the dangerous environment that makes walking at night unsafe


And even if we try and not become so overwhelmed
Even if we attempt to avoid being bogged down by the problems


And if we make some contribution to the plight we see
And despite our little contributions to aid the struggle


Still our descendants will inherit our mistakes of today
Our future generations will inherit our present errors


They'll suffer just the same as we and never wonder why
They will experience the same pain as us but without understanding how it all started




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Bryan Holland

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@Top-Kek

I got into the offspring (and punk in general) in 2022. Better late than never. This song is awesome 🤘🏾

@offspringfan1288

I’ve been a fan of The Offspring (and punk) since 1994 when Smash dropped. Seen The Offspring 18 times in concert, fixing to see them again next weekend in Atlanta for my 19th show! Glad you finally discovered this legendary group even if better late than never 👍🏻🤙🏻✊🏻🤟🏻

@mikeyb7786

There are many great punk bands out there. If you like this style of music Good Riddance a compressive guide to modern rebellion might be up your alley

@junkshun626

This track was sorely underrated when this album first dropped

@j2thefnr

Unreal that this is from the 90’s

@mikeyb7786

@j2thefnr time flies new music sucks 90s punk kicked ass

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@paulhardiek7881

This is the most powerful message I have ever heard in a song. I volunteer to help out the homeless and make a difference in the community and the world.

@tomferguson9250

Feels just as relevant today as it did when I first heard it at 13 years old

@mohdshahrilsalleh3657

the bass line is awesome

@peterpena9941

Being an older punk rocker , I know what this song is all about ! The world is a mess but there is still hope for the future !

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