One & Only – English Lyrics

• By: Nelly

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the heartfelt storytelling of Nelly's "One & Only," a compelling hip-hop track that masterfully blends narrative with emotion. This song offers a rich vocabulary for expressing longing and regret, providing an authentic glimpse into colloquial American English and the nuances of romantic confession. Its accessible lyrics and distinct hip-hop style make it an engaging way to explore contemporary language and emotional expression in music.

[English]

♪ YO ♪

♪ WE COOL, RIGHT? ♪

♪ I MEAN WE GO BACK, YOU KNOW, BACK BEFORE THE RECORDS ♪

♪ BEFORE YOU WENT TO COLLEGE ♪

♪ AND BECOME THIS PERSON WHO YOU ARE ♪

♪ CONGRATULATIONS ON THAT ANYWAY TOO ♪

♪ BUT FOR LONG TIME IT'S BEEN SOMETHING I NEED TO TELL YOU ♪

♪ LISTEN YOU SEE WE'VE BEEN KNOWN EACH OTHER ♪

♪ SINCE WE WERE ABOUT THIS HIGH ♪

♪ SAME ELEMENTARY, SHARED THE SAME BUS STOP ♪

♪ EVEN AS A YOUNGSTER I KNEW YOUR SO FLY ♪

♪ EVEN BACK THEN I KNOWED YOU WERE THE ONE ♪

♪ I WATCHED YOU GROW, I WATCHED YOUR TRANSFORMATION ♪

♪ RIGHT TO SCHOOL TO YOUR COLL AND OCCUPATION ♪

♪ IT TOOK THIS LONG TO BE A MAN TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION ♪

♪ BUT, IT HERE WE GO I WANT YOU ♪

♪ TO WANT ME ♪

♪ GIRL, I NEED TO KNOW THAT ♪

♪ I COULD BE YOUR ONE AND ONLY ♪

♪ I NEED YOU ♪

♪ TO NEED ME ♪

♪ SEE, YOU WERE MY WORST MISTAKE GIRL ♪

♪ AND THAT'S WHY ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO KEEP MY COOL WHEN I SEE YOU WITH HIM ♪

♪ 'CAUSE I REALLY WISH THAT YOU WOULD RIGHT HERE ♪

♪ TELL ME WHAT SHOULD TAKE TO WIN JUST A PIECE OF YOUR HEART ♪

♪ MY ONLY CRYPTONITE IS YOU ♪

♪ THAT'S WHY ANYTHING YOU'LL SAY I'LL DO ♪

♪ SO LET ME STOP FOR A MINUTE TAKE A SEC TO SAY ♪

♪ GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ AWAY, GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ THEY SAY ONE'S MAN TRASH IS THE NEXT MAN'S TREASURE ♪

♪ OR ONE I FIND PAIN AND NEXT TIME I FIND PLEASURE ♪

♪ I WONT PAY ATTENTION TO THE HATERS NOW OR NEVER ♪

♪ I DON'T GIVE A DAMN, WHO IS BE FOR ME, ME ♪

♪ ALL THAT MATTERS IS YOU ARE WITH ME KNOW ♪

♪ ALL I NEED TO KNOW IS THAT YOU'RE DOWN ♪

♪ MAN, IT'S SOMETHING SPECIAL WITH ABOUT ROUND ♪

♪ AROUND LADIES, ROUND ABOUT, BABY ♪

♪ GIRL ♪

♪ I WANT YOU ♪

♪ TO WANT ME ♪

♪ GIRL, I NEED TO KNOW THAT ♪

♪ I COULD BE YOUR ONE AND ONLY ♪

♪ I NEED YOU ♪

♪ TO NEED ME ♪

♪ SEE YOU WERE MY WORST MISTAKE GIRL ♪

♪ AND THAT'S WHY ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO KEEP MY COOL WHEN I SEE YOU WITH HIM ♪

♪ 'CAUSE I REALLY WISH THAT YOU WOULD RIGHT HERE ♪

♪ TELL ME WHAT SHOULD TAKE TO WIN JUST A PIECE OF YOUR HEART ♪

♪ MY ONLY CRYPTONITE IS YOU ♪

♪ THAT'S WHY ANYTHING YOU'LL SAY I'LL DO ♪

♪ SO LET ME STOP FOR A MINUTE TAKE A SEC TO SAY ♪

♪ GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ AWAY, GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ IT'S LIKE I DIE EVERY TIME I SEE YOU WITH THIS GUY ♪

♪ THINK IN IT'S MYSELF WHY THE HELL IT'S WITH THAT GUY ♪

♪ WHY SHE ISN'T BY MY SIDE, WE WOULD BE SO FLY ♪

♪ WE WOULD LIVE THAT LIFE ♪

♪ THE LIFE WE USED TO DREAM, TALKED BACK THEN ♪

♪ BACK WHEN I USED TO PULL MY BMX UP ALONG TO YOUR SWING ♪

♪ SEE, HERE WE ARE AGAIN ♪

♪ FUNNY HOW FAITH BROUGHT MY FAME UP ALONG SIDE OF YOUR BENZ ♪

♪ AND STILL ♪

♪ I WANT YOU ♪

♪ I WANT YOU ♪

♪ TO WANT ME ♪

♪ TO WANT ME ♪

♪ GIRL, I NEED TO KNOW THAT ♪

♪ HEY, I COULD BE YOUR ONE AND ONLY ♪

♪ I NEED YOU ♪

♪ TO NEED ME ♪

♪ SEE, YOU WERE MY WORST MISTAKE, GIRL ♪

♪ AND THAT'S WHY ♪

♪ IT'S HARD TO KEEP MY COOL WHEN I SEE YOU WITH HIM ♪

♪ 'CAUSE I REALLY WISH THAT YOU WOULD RIGHT HERE ♪

♪ TELL ME WHAT SHOULD TAKE TO WIN JUST A PIECE OF YOUR HEART ♪

♪ MY ONLY CRYPTONITE IS YOU ♪

♪ THAT'S WHY ANYTHING YOU'LL SAY I'LL DO ♪

♪ SO LET ME STOP FOR A MINUTE TAKE A SEC TO SAY ♪

♪ GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ AWAY, GIRL, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY, YOU TAKE MY BREATH AWAY ♪

♪ YES SO, I MEAN ♪

♪ LIKE I SAID, WE'VE BEEN KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ALONG TIME ♪

♪ YOU'VE SEEN ME GO TO I SEEN YOU GO TO ♪

♪ WE'RE IN HERE KNOW AND ♪

♪ I JUST THAT I TELL YOU THAT, SO YOU GOT MY NUMBERS ♪

♪ YOU GOT MY EMAIL, YOU KNOW EVERYTHING ♪

♪ SO I GUESS THE NEXT MESSAGE I GET FROM YOU AND LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK ♪

♪ ABOUT THIS RIGHT HERE, ALRIGHT? ♪

♪ ALRIGHT, GO HOME SAFE ♪

♪ YEAH ♪

♪ GET MONEY ♪

♪♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
cool /kuːl/ B1	adjective - fashionable or attractive
mean /miːn/ A2	verb - to intend; to signify
records /ˈrɛkərdz/ B2	noun - documents or disc recordings kept as evidence or reference
college /ˈkɑːlɪdʒ/ B1	noun - an institution of higher education
person /ˈpɜːrsən/ B1	noun - a human being
congratulations /ˌkɒŋɡrætjʊˈleɪʃənz/ C1	noun - expressions of praise for success
long /lɔːŋ/ A2	adjective - requiring a great amount of time; extended
tell /tɛl/ A2	verb - to communicate information or convey a message
listen /ˈlɪsən/ A2	verb - to give attention to sound; to hear
known /noʊn/ B2	adjective - well-known; recognized
elementary /ˌɛlɪˈmɛntəri/ B1	adjective - relating to the first years of schooling; basic
bus /bʌs/ A2	noun - a vehicle for transporting passengers
youngster /ˈjʌŋstər/ B2	noun - a child or young person
fly /flaɪ/ B2	adjective - fashionable or attractive (slang)
watched /wɒtʃt/ B1	verb - observed or looked at attentively
transformation /ˌtrænsfərˈmeɪʃən/ C1	noun - a thorough or dramatic change in form or appearance
heart /hɑːrt/ B1	noun - the organ; center of emotion or feeling
cryptonite /ˈkrɪptəˌnaɪt/ C1	noun - fictional mineral that weakens Kryptonians; kryptonite

Key Grammar Structures

• WE COOL, RIGHT?

  ➔ Tag question

  ➔ This line uses a 'tag question'; the word "RIGHT" acts as a confirmatory tag.

• I WANT YOU TO WANT ME

  ➔ "to-infinitive" clause after verb of desire (want)

  ➔ This line uses a "to-infinitive" clause after a verb of desire: I want you to want me.

• I NEED YOU TO NEED ME

  ➔ "to-infinitive" clause after a verb of obligation/requirement (need)

  ➔ Demonstrates a "to-infinitive" clause after the verb of need: I need you to need me.

• YOU WERE MY WORST MISTAKE GIRL

  ➔ "were" is the past tense of 'be' in a simple past predicate

  ➔ Shows a past tense form with the verb 'be' — the line: 'YOU WERE MY WORST MISTAKE'.

• IT TOOK THIS LONG TO BE A MAN TO HAVE THIS CONVERSATION

  ➔ "It took ... to + verb" construction (past tense)

  ➔ Represents the "It took ... to + verb" past tense construction illustrating duration before an action.

• MY ONLY CRYPTONITE IS YOU

  ➔ Linking verb 'is' introducing a predicate nominative

  ➔ Shows a simple present linking verb 'is' connecting subject and predicate nominative.

• THAT'S WHY ANYTHING YOU'LL SAY I'LL DO

  ➔ Future with will (expressed by contraction 'you'll' and 'I'll')

  ➔ Demonstrates a future tense expressed by contractions 'you'll' and 'I'll'.

• THE LIFE WE USED TO DREAM, TALKED BACK THEN

  ➔ "used to" to talk about past habits or states

  ➔ Uses the "used to" construction to express a past habit: WE USED TO DREAM.

• WHY SHE ISN'T BY MY SIDE

  ➔ "isn't" contraction of 'is not' in present simple

  ➔ Shows negation with contraction 'isn't'.

• WE WOULD LIVE THAT LIFE

  ➔ "would" for hypothetical or habitual past/future in conditional sense

  ➔ Indicates a conditional/hypothetical situation with "would".