When you’ve written as many songs as Paul McCartney has throughout his illustrious career, you need to be ready to take any path to creativity. Otherwise, the ideas might start drying up very quickly.
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In the case of “This One”, found on his excellent 1989 album Flowers In The Dirt, a little wordplay got him inspired. The title phrase sent him off on a lyrical flight of fancy that added a surprising touch to a straightforward love song.
“One” for the Books
Paul McCartney found his stride again on the 1989 album Flowers In The Dirt. After the ringing success, in both critical and commercial terms, of Tug Of War in 1982, things got bumpy for a while. While several singles broke through, a couple of albums released in the next five years (Piper Of Peace and Press To Play) failed to ignite like past efforts.
There was also a failed movie (Give My Regards To Broad Street) in that stretch. It’s not surprising, then, that McCartney put a great deal of focus on Flowers In The Dirt. His highest-profile move was writing songs with Elvis Costello, one of the first steady songwriting partners he’d used since his Beatles days with John Lennon.
Even though Flowers In The Dirt was heavily promoted with the Costello connection front and center, only four of the album’s 13 songs were co-writes between the pair (including lead single “My Brave Face“). Aside from that, it was all Paul, delivering one of his strongest sets in years.
“This One” contributed a great deal to that strength. It’s a love song with a mostly positive outlook, not unlike dozens of such accomplished tracks in McCartney’s history. But it takes a surprising lyrical turn at one point. In an interview with People (as reported by Beatles Bible), McCartney explained how he got there.
“That’s completely silly wordplay,” said McCartney. “My dad was very into words and crosswords and things, and so was I at school. And then becoming a songwriter, I was interested in wordplay. So when I heard someone say, ‘This one,’ I thought it could also be ‘this swan.’ I liked this image of a swan, like in Hindu art, Krishna and the swan gliding over water lilies. I was attracted to that image, so that’s what it became, using the two meanings of the word.”
Examining the Lyrics of “This One”
“This One” expresses the importance of acting now, instead of waiting around. The narrator keeps asking his beloved if he had come through with the words and deeds that she deserves. “Did I ever take you in my arms, look you in the eye, tell you that I do,” he asks. “Did I ever open up my heart and let you look inside?”
Later in the song, he bemoans the fact that he hasn’t shown her other signs of affection. When the middle eight arrives, he changes the pronoun to “we,” suggesting that they’ve both made mistakes of omission. “What kind of magic might have worked if we stayed calm,” he wonders. “Couldn’t I have given you a better life?”
At last, he realizes the error of his ways in the chorus: “There never could be a better moment than this one,” he admits, the lightbulb flashing above his head. That’s when McCartney takes us into another realm, as “This one” becomes “This swan.”
“How calm the river and bright the rainbow,” he muses as the swan goes gliding into the horizon.
“This One” became a sleeper hit, reaching the UK Top 20 when released as a single. All the typical elements of a Paul McCartney smash are there, including a fetching melody and boundless optimism. Throw in a little detour to the heavens, and you’ve got a surprising winning formula.
Photo by David Lefranc/Kipa/Sygma via Getty Images
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