In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
A restless eye across a weary room
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I lead the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you won't forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love?
Or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
The moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
The year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you will never forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
Then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I lead the way to the funeral pyre
And without a thought of the consequence
I gave in to my decadence
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you won't forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love?
Or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
The moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
The year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
One slip, and down the hole we fall
It seems to take no time at all
A momentary lapse of reason
That binds a life for life
A small regret, you will never forget,
There'll be no sleep in here tonight
Lyrics submitted by Demau Senae
One Slip Lyrics as written by Phil Manzanera Dave Gilmour
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
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It's about sex! Plain and simple. Where is being a married man or having an affair ever inferred in the lyrics???
The electronic casino sounds at the beginning of the song can be interpreted as a sperm swimming around trying to find the egg. Like using a tracking radar. The sperm bumped around to a couple false destinations until... DING-DING-DING-DING, Conception!!!
Look around and observe your own environment/ surroundings. Chances are, at least half the people you know are unplanned parents or someone paying unwanted child support. Ask them how it sorta-kinda happened. One slip! Sexual hormones often override logic. Plain and simple. The rules of religion or social pressure (social reputation) don't stop everyone!
What's the best way to prevent sorta-kinda-accidentally getting a woman pregnant? Simple. Don't have sex! Or, is it really that simple? Look around. Either you'll find out soon enough yourself (that drowning desire) or you'll know someone who's eventually fallen into the hole. Cocky alpha males or women desperate for attention usually waste no time seeing for themselves this aspect of life (guaranteed propagation of the species). Apparently, contraception often falls into that overlooked logic category (for both men & women). Typical reasons are seemingly high costs of contraception, lack of planning ahead (inconvenience), undesirable side-effects, or simply just being statistically unlucky. Or, that "It won't happen to me!" mindset. "It happens to everyone else, but not me!"
Line by line lyrics and interpretation:
A restless eye across a weary room a glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
the music played and played as we whirled without end
no hint, no word her honour to defend
I will, I will, she sighed to my request
and then she tossed her mane while my resolve was put to the test
then drowned in desire, our souls on fire
I led the way to the funeral pyre
and without a thought of the consequence I gave in to my decadence
one slip, and down the hole we fall
it seems to take no time at all
a momentary lapse of reason
that binds a life for life
a small regret, you won't forget
there'll be no sleep in here tonight
was it love, or was it the idea of being in love? or was it the hand of fate, that seemed to fit just like a glove?
the moment slipped by and soon the seeds were sown
the year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone
one slip, and down the hole we fall
it seems to take no time at all
a momentary lapse of reason
that binds a life to a life
the one regret, you will never forget
there'll be no sleep in here tonight
one slip...one slip...
Related movies (whoops!):
Knocked Up Juno Fatal Attraction
Actually the sound at the beginning is a the noise and alarm of the security system at the studio this track was recorded in.
Also, this song is definitely not about an unwanted pregnancy. The only regret is the lack of sleep, which reflects a care free attitude toward the situation. If a baby was conceived I would imagine that would be a pretty big regret.
I also, do not believe this song is about infidelity. It mentioned that "neither one wanted to remain alone." This suggests that both are unattached, and perhaps a bit desperate.
Nor is this song merely about shear lust. The author asks "Was it love, or was it the idea of being in love.. or was it the hands of fate that seems to fit just like a glove?" Anyone simply concerned with the physical aspects wouldn't be bringing up the notion of love. Also, rather than just jumping straight into the sack, the two danced, or whirled, for long while.
To me this song is a tale of an unspoken attraction between two people upon which they both acted. This is reflected in the first two stanzas. In the last stanza after the chorus he is questioning whether it was love, fate, or desperation that caused this momentary lapse of reason.
This song is more emotional than it is physical. A song about sperm, placentas, and a broken prophylactic really isn't Pink Floyds style. So sambennallick, why don't you put away your amateur Freudian psychology, take some more analytical literature classes, listen to more pink floyd, and try again later.
Sounds like a couple meeting and having sex, probably too young, and have a kid. Not being ready or able to handle the consequences of your actions.
The phrase, 'a momentary (tree) lapse of reason' was simply used in a song from the album of the same name. This is planned I do believe.
A real super clean song about the world's most popular pastime.
Cody
They way I interpret the song, it's either about a man and woman falling in love, and eventually falling out love, then being too scared to leave each other because of loneliness.
"the year grew late and neither one wanted to remain alone"
-
The other way I see the lyrics is that it's about an unplanned pregnancy "A momentary lapse of reason"
"and without a thought of the consequence I gave in to my decadence
one slip, and down the hole we fall it seems to take no time at all a momentary lapse of reason that binds a life for life"
-
Even though the song's not about addiction, I still find the lines below helpful with my sobriety "one slip, and down the hole we fall it seems to take no time at all"
sex.that's it.
it's a song of an unwanted pregnancy
About unplanned events (Pregnancy).
Married man screws up at some social event and sleeps with another woman. This is his "one slip." An affair begins and carries on. Man's wife eventually finds out and "there will be no sleep in here tonight" refers to him and his wife. Eventually his marriage is done and he and the other woman continue to see each other becuase they have nothing else left, despite the fact they seem to have grown bored with each other. Unwilling to be alone in life, they cling to each other.
I don't see a pregnancy in here anywhere, though I have looked after reading earlier posts.
A momentary lapse of reason binds a life to a life. Because of one moment where this man (and this woman) fail to use good judgement and give in to the oldest temptation on God's planet, his life is forever linked (or bound) to another person, whether he sees her again or not.
I agree. I don't see the accidental pregnancy within the lines either. Good song.
Yes, infidelity. That's it.