One Thing

Album: Finger Eleven (2003)
Charted: 16
Play Video
  • Restless tonight
    'Cause I wasted the light
    Between both these times
    I drew a really thin line
    It's nothing I planned
    And not that I can
    But you should be mine
    Across that line

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    I promise I might
    Not walk on by
    Maybe next time
    But not this time

    Even though I know
    I don't wanna know
    Yeah I guess I know
    I just hate how it sounds

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    Even though I know
    I don't wanna know
    Yeah I guess I know
    I just hate how it sounds

    Even though I know
    I don't wanna know
    Yeah I guess I know
    I just hate how it sounds

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing
    Wouldn't that be something

    If I traded it all
    If I gave it all away for one thing
    Just for one thing
    If I sorted it out
    If I knew all about this one thing Writer/s: James Black, Scott Anderson
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 32

  • Jerry Leone from San DiegoThis is a song about a drug attict. Drew a really thin line? Cocaine. Hates himself for staying with it all night. Wasting the light I drew a really thin line. Huge regret about seeing the sun come up again, not this time but maybe next time. If he gave it all away for one thing wouldn't that be something 'sobriety" he hates how it sounds "drug attick".
  • Sami from AlbertaI read the lyrics differently... "wasted the light", I think that he was enlightened with the emotion and awareness for a time after connecting with a soulmate and he wasted it. Forced it away possibly.
    To me, the song means that he found love and the "one thing" he is trying to understand is the power that the connection holds over him. Doubt, fear, truth, love, fate, and what it all means. It's led him to a dark place it seems.
    "if I gave it all away" - I interpret this as believing he needs to change who he is in order to be with this person, or walk the line so to speak, but "wouldn't that be something" if he could sort it all out, and make it possible.
  • M from InternetI interpreted it as being about someone who's contemplating an affair. Someone who's in a dead-end marriage trading everything (marriage, a house, a former life, the way people perceive you) for that "one thing"- attention, intimacy, etc.
  • Marty from OhioOlder fellow now but years back sold his dream car to help with some finances of raising his family . Now years later kids grown wife died of cancer he is trying to fill that empty void that took everything from him . Then there she is ... that muscle car that would bring back so many memories ... both good and bad . This was me twelve years ago .
  • Steve from CanadaThe song is about my upcoming giving it all away - house and family - to cross the border into the US to be with Rachelle ... At some point you have to choose life and happiness over a dead marriage that is sucking the life out of you minute by minute.
  • Iamnegan from Sanctuary GaI agree with the rest about the regret, but I think it's about regret for anything & everything instead of something specific. Also, there's no missing all the Harry Potter references in it, which were books/movies filled with loss & regret.
  • Johnny Darter from Swampy Bottom, FlI think this song is about laundry. He wants to wear his one favorite shirt tonight, but its in the dirty pile of laundry. And he wasted all day not getting his laundry done, and now he cant wear his favorite shirt. He needs to sort out the dirty piles into whites and colors. He doesnt know how much detergent to put in, or what temperature to wash, etc... He needs to learn. He promises to get the dirty pile of laundry done tomorrow. He hates how the buttons on his jeans clang and make a racket in the dryer. He wants to trade it all and give all that dirty laundry away just for that one shirt, clean. He could wear that clean shirt then.
  • Cathy from Tennessee This song was played at my 49 year old brother who died alone in his pick up truck having had that last alcohol binge that killed him. His battle with addiction is over. This song caused the tears to flow in abundance. Such a wast of a life.
  • Andy from Sarona WiTotally about a girl he sees often and desires but can't take her as his own without literally trading everything he worked for his whole life marriage children home maybe if he knew everything about that one thing he would trade it all
  • Michael from MdI always thought it was about having an affair. Giving it all away for crossing they ".. really thin line< then he shows his resistance but still has the desire "It's nothing I planned
    And not that I can
    But you should be mine
    Across that line" he wants to give in but stays strong one desire at a time
    "I promise I might
    Not walk on by
    Maybe next time
    But not this time"

    any one else thought this?
  • Brian from IndianaFor me the "one thing" would be to have the love of a certain woman. We were starting to fall in love, but she wanted to stop because of just getting out of a horrible relationship. While I understand what she's saying, I would still trade everything to have her back. I hear her words..." I just hate how it sounds".
  • Crystal from TnFor my personal self, I can relate with depression and anxiety. Sometimes I let the light of day go by without me partaking in it, then at night I feel guilty and am restless. The things I want to do, I dont always do, and the things i do, i dont always want to do...
  • Brian from Meridian IdahoThat "one thing". What is it? He would trade it all - for that one thing. He says he walks by but doesn't say anything. Maybe tomorrow he will but he would trade everything for that "one thing". I think it's a cruch/love and he doesn't like the sound of the words when he says either she's with someone else or doesn't want him back...
  • Amy from Green Bay WisconsinSo yes it could be an addiction type thing or even about a girl that he "coulda" had...
    My thoughts tho...
    1. He had her but because of either his job or partying or even cheating on her thats y he lost her. Or because of his job or partying he didn't see that she was messing aroynd on him until it was too late.
    2. She was pregnant and didn't tell him...they broke up n she gave it up for adoption and he had no idea until he couldn't get baby back anymore.
    3. He was father of baby many yrs ago n just found out. Wouldn't gave left the mother if only he knew back then. And finally meets kid and is saying he's sorry. "You should be mine" ...which could also mean chick raising his baby with another dude or chick raising another dudes baby with him. "I don't wanna know...if i knew all about this 1 thing"
    See. So many interpretations.
    What ya think?
  • Axel from 90019Introductory guitar solo kind of sounds like the Beatles Dear Prudence.
  • Daryl from HoskinsFor me personally even though it may seem like a stretch to some, is I would give anything to have even just one more day with my wife who died last year. One day I'll see her again, but until then I would give anything.
  • Keinan from CanadaTo me, this song could be about “selling out” as an artist. If you listen to Finger 11’s earlier music, it is very different from their newer stuff. Musicians often battle with themselves over their creative license vs the ability to go mainstream and make a living off of their music. I feel this song was a way for the writer to confess his frustrations that come with working in the cut-throat music industry, especially when dealing with major labels.
  • Tracey from South Lake TahoeI believe it might be a man who discovers that he's in love and is afraid yet he'd give everything he's got to hold on to it.
  • Michael from El PasoI rediscovered this song. One of my motivations is getting my body back into shape and not round. However during those tough workouts this song comes on and motivates me. I used to think it was about coke addiction, then debate on abortion. However, the past month it has meant something different. I believe the guy has found out his wife has cheated on him and trying to find a way to forgive then forget. "Even though I know
    I don’t want to know
    Yeah I guess I know
    I just hate how it sounds"

    Sounds like he is in denial about the adultery and betrayal and hate how it sounds. Then "I promise I might
    Not walk on by
    Maybe next time
    But not this time"

    Sounds like he may be able to forgive her, but not this time. So he does not want to confront her.
  • Sparky from Vatican City, BotswanaSo the one thing Chris Benoit worked his whole life for was champion of play wrestling? PFFFFT!!! LoL!!!
  • Phil from Neenah, WiI would have to agree with Eric on this. As it seems like the speaker/singer is talking about regret on losing that girl, or guy depending on who you are, and going separate ways and looking back and reflecting on it. All while thinking along the lines of "If I did this/that back then, I would still have him/her." Along with saying about how one would give up everything just to be with that one person, or even a thing for that matter. It also seems to ask the listener on how much they are willing to give up to be with that one person again, be at a certain moment, party, etc. in a way. All in all, this song also seems to be in the same context as The Who's 'Baba O' Riley/Teenage Wasteland'.
  • Linda from Inland Empire, CaWhat I get out of this song is that the person has done something or experienced something that has dramatically changed his life forever and he is fully absorbing the shock of having gone past the point of no return. The lyrics leave plenty of room for interpretation as to the exact circumstances, but the depth of regret is overwhelming. Such a simple and powerful song.
  • Arti from Toronto, OnI was obsessed for months when i first heard this song.
  • Paula from Philadelphia, PaI think this song is about giving up every physical concrete posession to find out what comes next, to know where we are headed beyond this exsistence. What comes next.
  • S. from Shawnee Mission, KsLiving with regret is tough. You can't believe that you did that thing, even knowing the cost, you let yourself go there.
  • Elizabeth from Longmont, CoI can never get this song out of my head. For me it means that this person regrets something. Like he found out something that is going ot change his world for the worst.It's a very sad song in my mind.
  • Eric from Aston, PaThis song has several meanings to me. The one posted is one of them.

    Another is about giving everything you have up just to be with a girl and knowing everything about her and having her.

    Another, similar to the last but changed; a person who is about to commit suicide over a girl and wants to be with her on the otherside. So he is giving it all away (life and everthing he has) to go to the otherside to be with her. (These lyrics support this meaning: "It's nothing I planned, And not that I can, But you should be mine, Across that line"

    Those are some meanings to me. I personal like the two I came up with, though the meaning posted is also good.
  • Scott from Jackson, AkI've seen this song performed live, it was awesome.
  • Chris from Ontario, Canadait for me is being good at one thing. my friend liked this song its not a bad song
  • Ln from :), QcThis song might be about regretting your past, giving up something for someone else or not believing a love one is lost

    'Even though I know, I don't wanna know, Yeah I guess I know, I Just hate how it sounds..'

    ... Those were always my first thoughts on this song. :)
  • Andrea from Calgary, AbThis song also features the Timpani (type of drum) being played through out it as apposed to a regular drum set.
  • Harry from Adelaide, AustraliaThis song was played in Scrubs S03E20.
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