One Thing
I have reached that beautiful stage of life where I can walk into a room with purpose, confidence, and a very clear mission...
Then immediately stop and wonder why I am there.
Was I looking for my keys?
My phone?
Coffee?
Why am I holding one sock?
And why did I open the refrigerator?
One Thing came from all those little moments that seem to happen more often the older I get.
Walking into the kitchen and forgetting why.
Going to the garage for one tool and somehow starting three unrelated projects.
Opening the refrigerator as if the answer might be sitting next to the leftovers.
Picking up your phone to check one notification and resurfacing twenty minutes later with detailed knowledge about something you never intended to learn.
And, of course, going to the store for one thing.
Just one thing.
Then coming home with socks, batteries, bug spray, a pool noodle, something called “Ocean Breeze,” and absolutely none of the thing you went there to buy.
That is really where the song lives.
In the gap between knowing exactly what you are doing and realizing your brain apparently left the building without telling you.
It is the screwdriver still sitting in the garage.
The missing shopping list.
The password reset for the password reset.
The random receipt from 2009 that somehow becomes more interesting than the task you were supposed to be doing.
And the little moment of victory when the original thought finally comes back.
Usually after it is too late.
The best part is that almost everyone seems to recognize themselves in it.
Maybe not the exact same details.
But the feeling?
Absolutely.
So One Thing is for everyone who has ever stood in the middle of a room, stared into space, and thought:
“I know I came in here for something.”
We may not remember what it was.
But at least we forgot together.
One Thing
Verse 1
I walked into the kitchen with a purpose in my stride,
Had a mission in my mind, I had focus in my eyes.
Then I saw the mail stacked up beside a coffee cup,
Found a coupon from last Tuesday and forgot why I got up.
I opened up the fridge like it might help me understand,
Stared into the leftovers with my car keys in my hand.
My wife said, “Are you okay?” I said, “I’m fine, I think,”
Then I poured orange juice into a coffee mug by the sink.
Pre-Chorus
There was a reason, there was a plan,
I had it locked down, I was the man.
But somewhere between the couch and the door,
My brain said, “Nope,” and left the store.
Chorus
I came in here for one thing,
Now I’m standing by the sink,
Holding keys, one sock, and a half-warm drink.
I had a plan, I had a mission,
Now I’m questioning my whole existence,
Lord, I swear I came in here for one thing.
One thing, one thing,
It was probably important, now it’s gone like a dream.
One thing, one thing,
If I sit back down, it’ll come back to me.
Verse 2
I walked out to the garage to grab a Phillips head,
Found a box of Christmas lights and a busted loaf of bread.
Then I started cleaning shelves I haven’t touched since ’09,
Found three cans of paint and one extension cord that wasn’t mine.
I saw a spider big enough to file a tax return,
Then I found a grill brush and some charcoal I should burn.
An hour later, proud of all the progress I had made,
I walked back in the house without the screwdriver I came to take.
Pre-Chorus
There was a reason, there was a clue,
It had a handle, maybe blue.
But somewhere between the tools and the floor,
My brain packed up and closed the door.
Chorus
I came in here for one thing,
Now I’m standing by the sink,
Holding keys, one sock, and a half-warm drink.
I had a plan, I had a mission,
Now I’m questioning my whole existence,
Lord, I swear I came in here for one thing.
One thing, one thing,
It was probably important, now it’s gone like a dream.
One thing, one thing,
If I sit back down, it’ll come back to me.
Verse 3
I went online real quick just to check one notification,
Next thing I’m watching raccoons in a grape-eating competition.
Then a guy made chili in a hotel coffee pot,
And somehow I learned everything about a yacht I’ll never buy or not.
I went to Walmart for milk, just milk, that was the plan,
Came home with socks, a pool noodle, and a ceiling fan.
Got batteries, bug spray, a candle called “Ocean Breeze,”
And had to go back later ’cause I forgot the cheese.
Bridge
They say write it down, make a list, stay on track,
But I lost the list in the pocket of my other slacks.
Then I found a receipt from 2009,
And spent ten whole minutes wondering, “Was that a sign?”
I got passwords I can’t remember,
Usernames I don’t recall,
Security questions asking,
“What was your first pet’s favorite mall?”
I reset the reset, then reset it again,
Now my phone thinks I’m a hacker and my laptop ain’t my friend.
I only needed one small thing,
But here I am, full spiral,
Reading reviews for a blender
That went viral.
Final Chorus
I came in here for one thing,
Now I’m standing by the sink,
Holding mail, one shoe, and a room-temperature drink.
I had a plan, I had a mission,
Now I’m Googling my own condition,
Lord, I swear I came in here for one thing.
One thing, one thing,
It was right there on the tip of my brain.
One thing, one thing,
And now I’m walking back again.
Outro
Oh wait, I remember,
It finally came through,
I came in here looking
For my phone.
Well, ain’t that funny,
Ain’t that sad,
I’ve been holding it the whole time,
Talking to my dad.
One thing, one thing,
This happens way too much to me.
One thing, one thing,
Welcome to adulthood, population: me.