Album: My Own Prison (1997)

Charted: 70

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Songfacts®:

• Written by Creed guitarist Mark Tremonti and lead singer Scott Stapp, this song is about unity, and how you can't change things without the support of others. It describes the divisions in our society today - feelings of anger, violence and helplessness.
• "One" was the fourth and final promotional single issued from Creed's first album, My Own Prison. The album first appeared on an independent label the band set up in April 1997, and was reissued in more polished form that August after they signed with Wind-Up Records. By March 1998, the title track was getting significant airplay, but since the singles weren't made available for sale in America, they weren't eligible for the Hot 100 chart per Billboard's rules.
  
  By the time "One" was released, that restriction was lifted, so it became the first Hot 100 hit for the band, peaking at #70 in April 1999. The first single from Creed's next album was "Higher," issued in August 1999. This resulted in a near-constant stream of Creed on the airwaves, which eventually wore out many listeners.
• Creed did very well on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart, where this song reached #2.

Comments: 10

• Bob from UsaThe song decries racial tensions in modern society and "discrimination now on both sides" which cause "seeds of hate [to] blossom further." The song specifically denounces calls that affirmative action "may be justified" as causing a "sliding further into regression." Instead, the song suggests that "the goal is to be unified" and therefore "why hold down one to raise another." To move on, we must realize that "the only way is one" because "all we want is unity" and "in the end we meet our fate together."
• Kayla from Martinsburg, WvOn September 11th 2001 after almost 10 hours of uninterrupted news coverage DC 101(Washington DC) played this as the first song back on the air at 7:00pm.
• Wendell from Milton, PeThis song is the ultimate in angst and guilt ridden Christianity. Definitely an underrated smash.
• B from Raleigh, NcWe may rise and fall, but in the end we'll meet our fate, together
• Cody from Spencer, WvThis song really sends out a message. In my eyes it explains how todays world is racist, selfish, unwilling to work together,and people are willing to bring down others just to have wealth and power, but the only true judge is Christ himself
• Sam from Sydney, --When Creed performed the song on Late Night with David Letterman, they started to play before David finished telling the viewers about the album "My Own Prison" which the song came from.
• Tom from South Bend, InThis song is about the inherent racism in the world and the political response to it. It is evil(racism) and the only judge is THE ONE; GOD/CHRIST. The human response to racism is affirmitive action and in its own response is inherent as racist and is as evil as racism itself. EXAMPLE; promoting an individual above another based on race rather than talent in that particular field is as, if not more, racist than oppressing an individual because of the same thing. In the end, God decides who is right and who is wrong, not politics and public opinion.
• Kristen from Homer Glen, IlI first heard this song when I was 14 going on 15 and it reminded me of overcoming my fears it's a butt kicking song
  Kristen, Homer Glen IL.
• Steve from Burkburnett, TxYa im not a huge creed fan, but this is a cool song. I really like that bass lick in the begining. Also i really like the message it put out.
• Erik from Willow Hill, Patheir first cd was their best one. great song!

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