One

this song describes a couple after a breakup that was initiated by the speaker (presumably male) in the song. they both love each other deeply (hence "one" ), but due to differences (hence "not the same"), couldn't stop hurting each other in the process of trying to live together as a monogamous married couple, the idealized form of human oneness. not being able to come to terms with one another, faced with no other alternative to stop the pain and save the love, the speaker eventually retreated from the commitment and broke up their bondage, getting free from what seems a futile effort. the speaker endured with the pain of failed negotiation for so many years that the partner feels now betrayed and abandoned for no good reason, not understanding the sudden change of pattern, not realizing that in her insistence on her ways all these years, she finally put the straw that broke the camel's back, and there is no return. she wants him to commit again to her, still not offering any change in her behavior, just pointing out to the importance of love, and to the fact that if he really loved her he wouldn't just leave her for what he claims is hurtful for him. again, she is blind to the fact that its the accumulating pain she caused him throughout the years, ignoring or neglecting his needs, that finally broke his will to keep on suffering for being with her. as such being the case, he has nothing to offer her now but brotherly love, and above all a commitment to support her through the painful period of breaking up. he still loves her, she is still unwilling to change her ways for him, she won't get his loyalty back, but he offers her his everlasting affection and support, but she doesn't care for it, she blames him for abandoning her.

Is it getting better [are you still angry and bitter because i decided to leave you?] Or do you feel the same [do you still blame me for abandoning you?] Will it make it easier on you Now you got someone to blame [we used to exchange blames as a couple, now i ended it, and you think it was uncalled for, as always you are belittling my pain in the relationship]

You say [you call me and ask me to commit again to you] One love [because love is the most important thing, and i admit i love you] One life [because sharing a life together as a couple under love is the right way to live] When it's one need [he: when our needs meet ... In the night [...and it's just the two of us... It's one love [...only then is our love truly fulfilled We get to share it [...in a reciprocal manner...] It leaves you baby [...but this was not often the case with us... If you don't care for it [... as in my mind you were not loyal to me]

Did I disappoint you? [i know you blame me for leaving you] Or leave a bad taste in your mouth? [i know you feel betrayed by it] You act like you never had love [but all the love i gave you was nothing to you, you trampled over it] And you want me to go without [you were not loyal to me in our marriage and without offering to change your behavior, you implore me not to go on with the divorce]

Well it's too late [it's too late, i won't change my mind] Tonight [now when you are calling me] To drag the past out Into the light [i am not going to try and defend myself, you can blame me, it's ok] We're one [all i can say is that i love you as i always have] But we're not the same [but i just couldn't reach agreements with you, that will minimize friction and tension between us, i always got hurt from your choices] We get to carry each other [all i can offer now is commitment to deal with the pain of breaking up, that i have forced upon you by my unilateral decision] Carry each other [help you deal with the pain] One [that's what human oneness means to me, that's what i wanted from you as a spouse]

Have you come here for forgiveness [are you going to say you are sorry for being disloyal to me, in hope of reconciliation] Have you come to raise the dead [are you really trying to revive what you have ruined all throughout our marriage] Have you come here to play Jesus [do you think you can redeem all the hurt you put upon me] To the lepers in your head [it's too late, i saved myself by breaking up with you, i am healed, there is no one to heal but you] Did I ask too much [i have always implored you to change your ways with me] More than a lot [you were never willing to change your ways for me] You gave me nothing [my negotiations with you always left me empty handed] Now it's all I got [and i remember vividly all these failed negotiations and the pain they brought me] We're one [i love you] But we're not the same [but i can't get along with you] We hurt each other [this causes friction and pain we can't get rid of as a couple] Then we do it again [it plagued us, and you didn't give any heed to that]

You say [again you implore me to reconsider my decision] Love is a temple [you say that if i loved you, my love to you would be sacred to me and i would have never left you] Love a higher law [you say that if i really loved you, nothing could bring me to leave you, i would be willing to die for you] Love is a temple [i agree that love is sacred] Love the higher law [ i agree that love is above all] You ask me to enter [ i understand you want to materialize our love under the same roof as a monogamous couple] But then you made me crawl [but you must realize that it's the wrong way for us, as it causes unnecessary pain, we just hurt each other, and it makes no sense, it's a sin against love to continue living like that] And I can't be holding on [the pain i feel prevents me from doing whats right, so whats the use in me being there? it defeats the purpose] To what you got [maybe if you could change, i will be able to do more] When all you got is hurt [but you kept hurting me and preventing me from loving you as i want to]

One love [love is sacred, it binds people together and frees them of loneliness and misery] One blood [it helps them take responsibility of one another] One life [it makes them not self-centered] You got to do what you should [so love is a means to an end, and shouldn't be used against its own design]

One life [i cannot offer you my loyalty anymore, as i see no way you are willing to change your way and stop hurting me] With each other [but, i still love you and care for you and take responsibility over your well being] Sisters [but i am not going to bind myself strictly to you, you are one of many i love] Brothers

One life [please accept what i have to offer to you, you are dear to me] But we're not the same [please understand my point of view, and that your unwillingness to adapt to my needs are at the bottom of our separation as a couple] We get to carry each other [please know i will always be there for you as a friend] Carry each other [please know all i hope for myself is to have you as a friend]

One

One