One of Us Lyrics
[Verse 1]
They passed me by, all of those great romances
You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances
My picture clear, everything seemed so easy
[Pre-Chorus]
And so I dealt you the blow, one of us had to go
Now it's different, I want you to know
[Chorus]
One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
[Verse 2]
I saw myself as a concealed attraction
I felt you kept me away from the heat and the action
Just like a child, stubborn and misconceiving
[Pre-Chorus]
That's how I started the show, one of us had to go
Now I've changed and I want you to know
They passed me by, all of those great romances
You were, I felt, robbing me of my rightful chances
My picture clear, everything seemed so easy
[Pre-Chorus]
And so I dealt you the blow, one of us had to go
Now it's different, I want you to know
[Chorus]
One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
[Verse 2]
I saw myself as a concealed attraction
I felt you kept me away from the heat and the action
Just like a child, stubborn and misconceiving
[Pre-Chorus]
That's how I started the show, one of us had to go
Now I've changed and I want you to know
[Chorus]
One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
[Post-Chorus]
Never left at all
[Outro]
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call...
One of us is crying, one of us is lying
In her lonely bed
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call
Sorry for herself, feeling stupid, feeling small
Wishing she had never left at all
[Post-Chorus]
Never left at all
[Outro]
Staring at the ceiling
Wishing she was somewhere else instead
(One of us is shaking with a heart that’s breaking)
One of us is lonely, one of us is only
Waiting for a call...
About
Genius Annotation
“One of Us”, ABBA’s last major hit and their last No. 1 single in many countries, was one of the last songs written for their album “The Visitors”.
One of Us was one of the more darker songs written by Björn Ulvaeus and Benny Andersson (the two men in the group). This was because their respective divorces from the two women in the group was taking a toll on their musical output.
This song opens every episode of Vampire Weekend singer Ezra Koenig’s Beats 1 radio show, Time Crisis. The show meanders from current happenings to nostalgia for music from before childhood all the way to the previous week. One of Us is its signature introduction.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
Official Lyric Video
Genius Answer
- 5.Ring Ring
- 6.Waterloo
- 7.Hasta Mañana
- 8.Honey, Honey
- 10.So Long
- 13.S.O.S.
- 14.Mamma Mia
- 15.Fernando
- 16.Dancing Queen
- 17.That’s Me
- 20.Crazy World
- 21.My Love, My Life
- 23.Happy Hawaii
- 26.Eagle
- 30.Chiquitita
- 31.Lovelight
- 33.Voulez-Vous
- 34.Angeleyes
- 36.I Have a Dream
- 38.Elaine
- 39.Super Trouper
- 41.On and On and On
- 42.Our Last Summer
- 44.The Visitors
- 45.One of Us
- 47.Head Over Heels
- 51.Cassandra
- 52.Under Attack
- 54.Dream World
- 56.Hej gamle man!
- 57.Merry-Go-Round
- 58.Santa Rosa
- 61.You Owe Me One
Credits
Producers
Writers
Copyright ©
Phonographic Copyright ℗
Remastering Engineer
Mandolin
Vocals
Publisher
Engineer
Drums
Keyboards
Synthesizer
Guitar
Background Vocals
Percussion
Arranger
Assistant Remastering Engineer
Recorded At
Polar Music Studios, Stockholm, Sweden
Released on
December 7, 1981
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