Creed: One Meaning
Song Released: 1998
One Lyrics
Take from one give to another
The goal is to be unified
Take my hand be my brother
The payment silenced the masses
Sanctified by oppression
Unity took a backseat
Sliding further in regression
One, oh...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:"Affirmative may be justified Take from one give to another"
It talks about how Affirmative Action sounds like a good idea.
"The goal is to be unified"
"Take my hand be my brother"
The true goal is for us all to be equal, .
"The payment silenced the masses"
"Sanctified by oppression"
One side felt that they finally had their chance, (As well as in some revenge) where as the other side realized that the shoe was simply on the other foot.
"Unity took a backseat
Sliding further in regression"
Thus the resentment and hate continued
"Society blind by color"
"Why hold down one to raise another"
If we wanted to be equal, then we truely wouldn't judge someone by their color, we wouldn't have a 'minority' quota.
We wouldn't have "Affirmative" Action, but we wouldn't need it either.
"Discrimination now on both sides"
Ongoing racism and the reverse racism.
"Seeds of hate blossom further"
Hatred causes it all, hatred for those who are different, and in the hatred only increases.
"The world is heading for mutiny, When all we want is unity"
Hatred and racism can only end tragicly, hatred for another leads to strife and war. You can say this is an anti-war song as well.
"We may rise and fall, but in the end"
"We meet our fate together"
When all is said and done we're all human. We may live our lives differently, but in the end we die all the same. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:one" is referring to the inherent flaws with Lyndon Johnson's 1965 Executive Order
11246 which requires federal contractors to "take affirmative action to ensure that
applicants are employed, and that employees are treated during employment, without
regard to their race, creed, color, or national origin." Give to one and take from
another implies that a lesser qualified minority may be hired in place of a more
qualified non minority (e.g.: token minority).
"The goal is to be unified take my hand be my brother" simply states the goal set by
the act had good intentions however the process has no justification there fore
causing a new problem while attempting to solve an existing problem.
Simply put the only way to equalize humans is to evolve our total thought process
and the way we perceive others, much like booker t Washington's theory on ending
racism. -
Knowing that Creed was a band that was considered a Christian Rock band. I can say that this song is about Jesus Christ. He is the only way out of this corruption and chaos that this world has shown and is still showing today. He is the One way. If we would all just see that Jesus and the Bible's teachings show us the way we are supposed to live. All of the wars, racism, and corruption would cease to exist. The world would put no one higher than GOD himself and live the way that GOD intended.
The song shows different ways we have tried to make society work that have all failed. That the true way to figuring things out is to follow the way of Jesus Christ (The one way). -
It's about White Aryan Unity, and the Day of RaHoWa.
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Its about affirmative action. Period. When I was a teen, I may have thought the meaning of "one" was geared toward general world peace however things have changed for me over the past 10+ years. I've grown.
I haven't listened to Creed since the 90's due to the fact that I both grew to disrespect Scott Stapp and realized Creed in its entirety was downright corny. However I picked up Torn recently to reminisce about the good old days. I guess it still holds a place in my heart and I admit, they are all talented and fun to listen to on a certain level. However jeez, just listen to the song.
Now I may have different political beliefs than you all but after listening to it again...like REALLY listening to it, I was immediately turned off. But what's worse is "In America." "Slaves to be free?" "Only in America we step on God, 'in God we trust'?" So not only is he against affirmative action, but he really doesn't get freedom and he really really doesn't get how a FREE nation can be at once based on Judeo-Christian values yet at the same time be ruled by secular, non-discriminating law...which has its faults, yes.
I postulate that Stapp's faith was based on the almighty $$$ but at its core just simply; his own prison. But who am I to to judge? I guess democracy is a little more than sexuality. -
Some have looked way too far into the meaning of this song. There are no ulterior motives. It is simply saying that the only way for peace is for everyone, reguardless of race, creed(no pun intended), or religion, treat everyone else as you would want to be treated. The GOLDEN RULE of any sane religion! TRUE RACIAL EQUALITY! Not by Government, but by FREE WILL!
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The person who posted that "One" is their religious symbol is right. It is about affirmativeaction, and all of the problemsof this world, but it's saying they don't matter. It's saying why should we care about color, when the only way to God is One( Jesus Christ) and He is the path for everyone, regardless of race.
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"One" also includes religious symbolism as do most of Creed's songs. Therefore, "One" is, in a sense, a Christian criticism of Affirmative Action. At the same time, it is a dismissal of theology-oriented arguments in favor of affirmative action.
Whether the subject of the line, "The payment silenced the masses, sanctified by oppression," is the payment or the masses that are now holy, the line's author suggests that a mistaken religious justification was used.
The chorus is an assumed perspective, perhaps capturing an attitude of a member of "the masses" as angry and eager for brotherhood to a fault, perhaps an individual who has lost a job opportunity in part due to reverse-racism. The phrase, "The only way is one" is used ironically, then, both to identify the powerful and correct goal of brotherhood, and at the same time the putatively tragic simplification used by the regulators authoring Affirmative Action legistlation and rules.
As a whole, this song tells a story that could easily serve as a sermon against Affirmative Action, cautioning against the dangers of minority empowerment through discrimination, should the people held back by reverse-discrimination turn, at worst, to religious or otherwise hate-oriented extremism: "Discrimination now on both sides, seeds of hate blossom further." The next lyric, "The world is headed for mutiny," suggests the interpretation that existing social and economic structures were put in grave danger as a result of this emerging set of hiring rules.
While a beautifully tragic song, the deepest and darker irony of the song may be the song author's anachronistic viewpoint. What may or may not have been meant as a personal story or a sermon from the early days of Affirmative Action, became, in its way, a beacon, for those opposed to racial considerations in hiring, especially certain nationally-influencial Christian sects. The difference between the problems of reverse discrimination and the reality of efforts at ending prejudicial hiring practices have become clearer in U.S. law since Affirmative Action Equal Opportunity rules came into effect in the 1960s. Nevertheless, the falsely presumed right to discriminate, especially in favor of more affluent, powerful, or "normal" individuals and groups, persists in the legal system, sadly fueled in some cases by relgious sects and politicians and judges who claim a deep Christian spirituality. ~Ben N -
Mescalito had it exactly right.... you can break down every line in the song and it will go with what he/she said:
"Affirmative may be justified
Take from one give to another"
This is talking about affirmative action... you are basically looking specifically at race as part of the whole "who will get this job" process.
"The goal is to be unified
Take my hand be my brother "
The goal of affirmative action is to "level the playing field" and diversify the work force to give people of non-caucasion backgrounds a better chance to get ahead.
"The payment silenced the masses
Sanctified by oppression "
Affirmative Action was widely accepted by minorities (of course, why wouldn't it be?) while it was looked down upon by white's when they finally realized what AA really does.
"Unity took a backseat
Sliding further in regression "
The unification process of minorities and white's is hindered because race is still looked at. Race is the issue, where in fact it should not be.
"Society blind by color
Why hold down one to raise another "
Instead of color lines fading, color is brought to the surface even more than it was before.
"Discrimination now on both sides
Seeds of hate blossom further "
Reverse-Discrimination causes more angst between white's and minorities.
"The world is heading for mutiny
When all we want is unity "
All everyone says they want is to be equal. How can we be equal when the race card is still being played?
"We may rise and fall, but in the end
We meet our fate together "
All men are created equal. We all live, we all die. We all meet the same fate. We should embrace this fate together, instead of reaching life's end with bitterness and hatred. -
Yeah, I think he's saying that affirmative action really doesn't do what it claims, or aims, to do. If we really wanted to end racism, we wouldn't have affirmative action, which is really just government-organized racism in favor of minorities.
"Why hold down one to raise up another?" -
The interpretation of the first "anonymous" is right on the money. It's about affirmative action and the irony that affirmative action is just government sanctioned reverse discrimination. It's not about coming together and singing Kumbaya and getting along, read the lyrics.
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I believe this song has a religous meaning. The singer is angry at how the world is slipping farther and farther away from God and decent morals. the "one" way he talks about is God. God is our ONE way out of absolutly anything. Most of the time, he's our only way.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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This song is really a protest song about the world today, and trying to find world peace,
"One Oh One The Only way is one"
The only way to find world piece is to become ONE.
this song contains references to racism, discrimination, homelessness and war and the singer says " I want to change the world yeah!"
And says the only way to fix the way the world is to become one, and unified.
Kind of the same sort of meaning in lyrics you'd expect to see in a 60's protest song.
"take my hand , become my brother"
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