Just about the time the shadows call
I undress my mind and dare you to follow
Paint a portrait of my mystery
Only close my eyes and you are here with me
A nameless face to think I see
To sit and watch the waves with me till they're gone
A heart I'd swear I'd recognize is
Made out of my own devices could I be wrong?

Time that I've taken
Pray is not wasted
Have I already tasted my piece of
One sweet love?

Sleepless nights you creep inside of me
Paint your shadows on the breath that we share
You take more than just my sanity
It take my reason not to care
No ordinary wings I'll need
The sky itself will carry me back to you
The things I dream that I can do
I'll open up the moon for you
Just come down soon

The time that I've taken (The time that I've taken)
A pray is not wasted (Pray is not wasted)
Have I already tasted my piece of
One sweet love?
Ready and waiting (Ready and waiting)
For a heart worth the breaking (heart worth the breaking)
I'd settle for an honest mistake, the name of
One sweet love

Savor the sorrow to soften the pain
Sip on the southern rain, as I do
I don't look don't touch don't do anything
But hope that there is a you

The earth that is the space between
I'd banish it from under me to get to you
Your unexpected love provides
My solitary's suicide oh I wish I knew

Time that I've taken
A pray is not wasted
Have I already tasted my piece of
One sweet love?
Ready and waiting (Ready and waiting)
For a heart worth the breaking (heart worth the breaking)
But I'd settle for an honest mistake in the name of
One sweet love

One sweet love


Lyrics submitted by alicson

One Sweet Love Lyrics as written by Sara Bareilles

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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One Sweet Love song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song is my favorite on Little Voice-- which I'm obsessed with... it never comes out of my car's cd player! :)

    To me this song is all about the notion that all girls have about their "One Sweet Love". We believe in finding the one guy that is for us... but what happens if we pass over it? Sara brilliantly address this often unspoken fear...

    "A heart I swear I'd recognize is made out of my own devices ...could I be wrong?"

    We worry that we've already had our "One Sweet Love" and let it go...

    "Time that I've taken, I pray it's not wasted. Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?"

    My favorite lines of the song:

    "The things I dream that I can do, I'd open up the moon for you... Just come down soon." ^^ Love love love the last line... I'd do anything for you, just hurry up and get here"

    "I don't look, don't touch, don't do anything, but hope that there is a you." ^^ All we do is hope our love is out there, and we're scared to do anything to mess that up.

    I could go on and on and on about this song, I love it so much! haha

    seulette suison December 12, 2007   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    One Sweet Love portrays a relationship with the Divine," my mystery....close my eyes and you are here with me...the breath we share, hope there is a YOU." This song is a beautiful poetic rendition of a prayer of hope, love and faith. BRAVO to Sara Barielles! She's singing of an awareness of this life that we share with a conscious spirit! Staying in a willing state of awareness. Brilliant! Thank you!

    celesteamannon March 08, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    to me this song is about a love that the narrator hopes is in existence, but she worries that in fact, she has missed, somehow.

    it seems the clue is in the line "I don't look, don't touch, don't do anything, but hope that there is a you."

    just my thoughts.

    courtneeporkeron April 10, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    It's about going through so many bad relationships and wondering when yoiu're gonna finally find the right one.

    missmeon September 22, 2008   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning

    I think it's pretty clear that she's talking about a lover/significant other that she has lost that may have been the "one sweet love" that she'll ever have.

    "Have I already tasted my piece of one sweet love?"

    When she says,

    "The time that I've taken I pray is not wasted"

    She must be referring to all the time she's spent finding guys, building relationships and starting all over again. If she let go of her One Sweet Love a long time ago and had been with 3 guys after that (just an example) then ... all that time would have been wasted.

    "Just about the time the shadows call I undress my mind and dare you to follow Paint a portrait of my mystery Only close my eyes and you are here with me A nameless face to think I see To sit and watch the waves with me till they're gone"

    I think this refers to the romance she's experiencing or has experienced with someone...

    "A heart I'd swear I'd recognize is made out of My own devices.... Could I be wrong?"

    She could be referring to a love story that she fabricated herself in her mind... either her heart or another man's heart. It never actually existed like she imagined it was in her head, in reality it was something else but she made some make-believe love story.

    "No ordinary wings I'll need The sky itself will carry me back to you The things I dream that I can do I'll open up The moon for you Just come down soon"

    I love this part. She talks about how nothing special is required, destiny will bring them back together if it's "meant to be" that way. And with her own power (the things i dream that i can do i'll open up the moon for you) she will do all it takes to make it work for him..."just come down soon". its funny cause i can relate exactly to that line lol :)

    "Savor the sorrow to soften the pain sip on The southern rain As I do, I don't look don't touch don't do anything But hope that there is a you."

    I'm not sure how savoring the sorrow will soften the pain. Seems like savoring sorrow will only enhance pain? Anyway, she says she doesn't look, touch or do anything (for love) but HOPE that there is still a One Sweet Love out there for her.... :(

    those are the lines that pop out most to me.

    idareyouon June 20, 2011   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    I adore this song because it's as if she's translated the feelings directly from my own heart.

    To me, this song is talking about the love of a man that she knows very well in every way, and cares for more powerfully than anything or anyone else, but she has never actually met this person. She feels his presence even though he's not there and she knows that he is the only one for her.

    It seems as though she is also doubtful that maybe she missed him at some point, due to her previous relationships with men who were not "the one." "-Time that I've taken. I pray it's not wasted-"

    Maybe she has met him but the timing wasn't right and she didn't realize it; letting him slip through her fingers. But she is willing to wait as long as she needs to if his love is worth waiting for.

    This song, and her lyrics or so beautifully put together that it paints a picture for your heart.

    mewsikluvaon March 14, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Another great song the should have more comments. Great lyrics, music and message.

    churchlemonon July 24, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I find this song really romantic. I think the images of sleepless nights, getting her sanity taken by her object of affection, and her impressive display of patience in the lines,

    "I don't look, don't touch, don't do anything, but hope that there is a you",

    all work to paint this picture of a woman hopelessly in love, at times unsure that this love will work yet at other times she seems pretty confident that things will work out when she says,

    "No ordinary wings I'll need the sky itself will carry me".

    One of my favorite songs on Little Voice, along with Gravity. I can see Sara going places. Her voice reminds me a little of Sheryl Crow's.

    beautiful_&_awkwardon November 06, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the chorus makes me think that she's singing about a love gone by, wondering if he is the one she shouldn't have let go. settling with a mistake and resuming the relation, if he decides to come back.

    but then again, with lines as "A heart I swear I'd recognize is made out of my own devices" and "hope that there is a you"... mmm.

    in5yearson November 25, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i see this song similarly to in5years

    to me, a girl had a love and it has visually dissipated. yet, she still feels something in her heart though her mind has moved on. she is afraid that he was 'the one'...that she will not find another like him.

    but for now, she is waiting to see if it was a mistake to leave her previous lover behind or if she is yet to find that true "one sweet love".

    AnotherLonelyDayon March 07, 2008   Link

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