What does One Slip mean?

Pink Floyd: One Slip Meaning

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Album cover for One Slip album cover

Song Released: 1987


One Slip Lyrics

A restless eye across a weary room
A glazed look and I was on the road to ruin
The music played and played as we whirled without end
No hint, no word her honour to defend

I will, I will she sighed to my request
And then she tossed her mane...

  1. anonymous
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    Oct 9th 2023 !⃝

    There's an argument to be made here that this song is about a man finding a wife (not looking for, finding)... Albeit not in a very wholesome manner.

    I sha'n't get into details.

  2. anonymous
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    Feb 17th 2021 !⃝

    what is the meaning of lots of hospital beds on the beach?
    i think the first interpretation in the right one, 1987 was the year many slips

  3. anonymous
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    Jan 24th 2021 !⃝

    This album was released in 1987, the height of the AIDS epidemic fear. I thought I had heard once that the song was about they had found out that they had become HIV+. Not sure if that was what was meant, though the pregnancy thing makes more sense to me.

  4. anonymous
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    Mar 8th 2015 !⃝

    *restless eyes across room-soul connections making eye contact across a room with other people. *road to ruin- the road with the most challenging tests to be experienced, being with our twin soul who is a mirror reflection of our flaws. (Drug addiction etc). *whirrled without end- at the beginning of a twin flame/soul relationship is the best so that always remember the potential when we go into the next phase of balancing themselves, relationships that aren't meant to be also start like this but never return to that. *no hint no word- we can't see it, we feel its like the wind, it's our instinct. Suppose to follow our heart. Attraction at soul level. *the next part- could refer to them getting pregnant before being aware Or the chaser and runner phase when confusion sets it. Both people needing to feel individual, whole, and independant. Fear drives the two apart but the love is eternal. If a child would be born into this it causes the parents to want to become better parents. It's critical, they can run from each other because of facing their flaws that need to be fixed. The blame game, instinct against ego. *funeral pyre- driving each other into the ground. intense highs and lows. Also, eternal love till we die and before we're Born. *one slip and down the whole we fall- after meeting your other half, it's never the same. you either get through the challenges or bail out. *momentary lapse of reason- brief lapse of reason or logic=ego. When your "ego" lapses I would imagine your "instinct" would kick in. What's meant to be vs learned behavior. *binds a life for life- two halves that make up a whole, the twin soul. Gods Devine plan. Or the baby that symbolizes their need to balance themselves to be a happy family. *there will be no sleep in here- the baby keeps them up at night reminding them or the ego against instinct causing one to think all night debating what's meant to be. * was it lust, karmic or actual unconditional love? The hand of fate refers to a couple made in heaven.* seeds were sewn- after all the challenges they faced they set examples for each other to balance, to work on lost abilities. They awakened or the runner awakened. Being able to reunite and connect with God, to feel oneness again but also feeling whole within their self. * the year grew late, neither wanted to remain alone- they both now realize their bond cannot be broken and that marriage will help protect them if they're not already. They woke up finally. they have strong energies. Getting pregnant can really help the two to open their eyes just as it opens almost every mothers eyes. You can push the love of your life away because of own insecurities and pain. Others can walk that path together of growing/healing, while the ultimate relationships have to walk seperately or they end up not meeting for long periods of time. The runner will run back even faster to their "safe-home" unconditional love.

  5. anonymous
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    Nov 19th 2012 !⃝

    Yep.. Unplanned pregnancy resulting from two people meeting first time on a night out. Every line screams this. I can't make any other interpretation of it. People thinking this has anything to do with drugs must be drunk or high. ;) No that wasn't very respectful of me, but really... isn't it obvious?

  6. anonymous
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    Nov 3rd 2012 !⃝

    About the opening...their eyes meet where? In a casino, of course (does no one else recognize those sounds as a one-armed bandit paying off?)! It could also a metaphor for the guy about to "score" with the delightful lady. But...they're a bit tipsy (a glazed look) and they've become bored (a restless eye across a weary room), so they progress on over to the dance floor. While dancing, well, that's when nature takes over. He eventually asks her to sleep with him. Sure, she will! (I mean, she tossed her mane, right? lol He knew he shouldn't be getting involved...but gosh, her hair smelled sooo nice!! (Resolve: FAILED lol~) The rest concerning unplanned pregnancy (one slip)? I go along with that...so, let it be a warning, young ones!! THINK!!

  7. astorian
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    Oct 10th 2012 !⃝

    This song is about how quickly, easily and unthinkingly we make choices that will determine our entire lives. More speicifcally, it's about how carelessly and irrationally we choose the people we marry.

    The songs begins with a whirlwind romance. The man meets a woman, they have a great time dancing together, they spend a night together making passionate love... and after that, they just sort of gradually drift into marriage.

    Do they love each other? They're not sure. Do they belong together? They're not sure. They didn't make a conscious, rational, intelligent decision- they just followed their hormones and their instincts, and before they knew it, they were a couple. And after a while, even though the relationship wasn't a particularly happy one, well... it was comfortable, and they didn't want to be single forever,so they wound up together for a lifetime.

    They didn't know the night they met that this relationship would last for years. if they HAD known, they might have thought twice about getting together. But they DIDN'T think, and now they're paying the price.

  8. dominicd
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    Dec 3rd 2009 !⃝

    Simply put, lust turning to love - coming to an end and with some regret of it ever having begun.


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