One and Only (song)

“One and Only”
Song by Adele from the album 21
Released	January 19, 2011
Recorded	Shangri La Studios (Malibu, California)
Genre	Soul
Length	5:48
Label	XL Recordings
Writer(s)	Adele Adkins, Dan Wilson, Greg Wells
Producer(s)	Rick Rubin
21 track listing
← Previous	Next →
"I'll Be Waiting"	"Lovesong"
Audio

"One and Only" is the ninth track on Adele's 21. It was written by Adele, Dan Wilson, and Greg Wells. The song appears in the season 2 episode of Unforgettable entitled "Up in the Flames." The song was also heavily promoted by several performances of the song by American Idol contestants in the show's eleventh season. "One and Only" was originally planned to be the second track on 21 rather than the ninth.

"One and Only" received some radio airplay in Puerto Rico in 2012 despite not being released as a single.

Background and Composition

"One and Only" was the only original song written for 21 that was not inspired by the same man that the rest of the album was about. In a track-by-track interview for the album, Adele spoke about the song:

“

'One and Only' is another happy song, and it's not about the same guy that the record's about. It's about someone that I've known for years and we've always really liked each other and never been together, even though I'm pretty convinced I'm probably gonna marry this guy in the end. And when I wrote the middle eight... [Laughs] It's very cheesy! The night before I wrote the middle eight, I watched Never Been Kissed with Drew Barrymore in it, and you know at the end, when she describes being kissed as the whole world slows down and goes into slow motion, everything else goes blurry and the only thing in focus is her and that fitty guy—whoever's playing that other character? And I kind of see it like that, and whenever I hear the bridge, it really is sort of like that, and it's quite epic... I mean, I don't think Never Been Kissed is a particularly epic movie, but you know, it's kind of that... I can just imagine being in Trafalgar—I don’t know why I’d be in the middle of Trafalgar Square kissing someone—and the whole world just slowing down and it being a bit like a fairy tale. It’s a bit of a sort-of daydreaming song, I suppose.

”

She has described "One and Only" as "the first happy song I had ever written," further adding that she saw it as a private conversation with a man she was in love with that had a girlfriend, although she could still see herself marrying him. She also told The Sun, "['One and Only' is] just about someone I've known for years who I've always loved and I think he's always loved me but we're too scared to be with each other in case that's it."

Despite Adele previously speaking fondly of the man who inspired the song, she revealed during her show at the Royal Albert Hall that she thought "the sun shone out of his ass, but not enough time has gone by since he was a fucking prick to me." Although this song was speculated to be about the same man who inspired the majority of the album, it was inspired by a rebound romance between dating the man who inspired 21 and her current boyfriend, Simon Konecki.

Adele composed the song with Dan Wilson (who also co-wrote "Someone Like You") and Greg Wells. When interviewed about the song, Wells stated:

“

I heard a piano progression of four chords, and a slow 6/8 feel. I kept playing it for about ten minutes. Adele was pacing the room with a note pad and pen... then finally said, 'I’m not sure if this is good, but what do you think of this?' And then in full voice she sang the finished chorus of 'One and Only' and I almost fell over.

”

According to sheet music published on Musicnotes.com, the song was written in the key of F Major.

live performances

The song was added to the setlist for Adele's second tour, Adele Live. Adele is often seen getting choked up while performing the song. She has even gone far enough to state that the person who inspired the song is no longer someone Adele is romantically attracted to.

Adele performed this song at the 2011 iTunes Festival in London. The performance of the song made the cut for her digital download EP iTunes Festival: London 2011. In it, at the end of the performance, Adele's voice, which is slowly fading away, can be heard saying, "Told you! I knew it would work!" to her pianist, Miles Robertson, in reference to her singing the song with only the piano after taking a vote from the audience. The piano only version is available for download from iTunes.

Charts

"One and Only" charted on the Bubbling Under Hot 100 Chart in the US.

Chart (2010)	Peak Position
US Billboard Hot 100	110

Credits

Personnel

• Adele – songwriting, lead vocals, backing vocals
• Dan Wilson, Greg Wells – songwriting
• Pino Palladino – bass
• Chris Dave – drums
• Matt Sweeney – guitar
• Smokey Hornel – guitar
• James Poyser – piano
• Lenny Castro – percussion
• Greg Fidelman – recording
• Sara Lyn Killion – recording assistant
• David Campbell – string arrangement
• Oren Waters – choir director
• Carmen Carter, Carmen Twillie, James Gilstrap, Josef Powell, Julia Waters Tillman, Lorna Maxine Water, Terry Young – choir
• Andrew Scheps – mixer
• Phillip Broussard Jr. – mixing assistant
• Lindsay Chase – production coordinator

Lyrics

You've been on my mind, I grow fonder every day, Lose myself in time, Just thinking of your face, God only knows why it's taken me so long to let my doubts go, You're the only one that I wanted, I don't know why I'm scared, I've been here before, Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all, You'll never know if you never try, To forgive your past and simply be mine, I dare you to let me be your, your one and only, Promise I'm worthy, To hold in your arms, So come on and give me a chance, To prove I am the one who can walk that mile, Until the end starts, If I've been on your mind, You hang on every word I say, Lose yourself in time, At the mention of my name, Will I ever know how it feels to hold you close, And have you tell me whichever road I choose, you'll go? I don't know why I'm scared, 'Cause we've been here before, Every feeling, every word, I've imagined it all, You'll never know if you never try, To forgive your past and simply be mine, I dare you to let me be your, your one and only, I promise I'm worthy, mmm, To hold in your arms, So come on and give me a chance, To prove I am the one who can walk that mile, Until the end starts, I know it ain't easy giving up your heart, I know it ain't easy giving up your heart, Nobody's perfect, (I know it ain't easy giving up your heart), Trust me I've learned it, Nobody's perfect, (I know it ain't easy giving up your heart), Trust me I've learned it, Nobody's perfect, (I know it ain't easy giving up your heart), Trust me I've learned it, Nobody's perfect, (I know it ain't easy giving up your heart), Trust me I've learned it, So I dare you to let me be your, your one and only, I promise I'm worth it, To hold in your arms, So come on and give me a chance, To prove I am the one who can walk that mile, Until the end starts, Come on and give me a chance, To prove I am the one who can walk that mile, Until the end starts.