"The One I Love" is a song by American alternative rock band R.E.M. It was released on the band's fifth full-length studio album, Document (1987), and also as a 7" vinyl single in 1987 by I.R.S. Records. The song was their first hit single, reaching No. 9 on the US Billboard Hot 100, No. 14 in Canada, and later reached No. 16 on the UK Singles Chart in its 1991 re-release.

The accompanying video's director was artist Robert Longo. The director of photography was Alton Brown.

In March 2005, Q magazine placed "The One I Love" at No. 57 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks. In 2012, Slant Magazine listed the song as the 38th best single of the 1980s.

The song is included on R.E.M. Live (2007). It was also included in Activision's Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero on Tour: Decades, both in 2008, as well as Harmonix's Rock Band 4 (2015).

Lyrics and meaning

The record has become a popular radio dedication to loved ones, relying on a misinterpretation of its refrain, "This one goes out to the one I love." However, subsequent lyrics in the same verse contradict the love song interpretation and suggest a darker, more manipulative theme ("A simple prop to occupy my time").

Michael Stipe related in 1987 to Rolling Stone, "I've always left myself pretty open to interpretation. It's probably better that they just think it's a love song at this point." However, in an interview in the January 1988 issue of Musician magazine, he said that the song was "incredibly violent" and added, "It's very clear that it's about using people over and over again."

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|South Africa (Springbok)

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|US Billboard Hot 100

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|US Mainstream Rock Tracks (Billboard)

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|US Cash Box Top 100

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!align="center"|Chart (1991)

!align="center"|Peak<br>position

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|Europe (European Hit Radio)

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|Luxembourg (Radio Luxembourg)

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|Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)

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|UK Airplay (Music Week)

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Certifications

References

  • Video clip at REMhq.com
  • 2020 interview with Bertis Downs on the song