What does One Week mean?

Barenaked Ladies: One Week Meaning

Album cover for One Week album cover

Song Released: 1998


One Week Lyrics

It's been one week since you looked at me
Cocked your head to the side and said "I'm angry"
Five days since you laughed at me saying
"Get that together come back and see me"
Three days since the living room
I realized it's all my fault, but...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 8th 2008 !⃝

    "I think it's just a parody taking the mickey out of popular culture, look at all the references they put in there.

    Of course the great irony is that it did become a piece of popular culture itself being a #1 hit in many countries."

    Well it seems to me that they just took what they were writing and ran with it. Not to mention maintaining a fairly coherent (and quirky) storyline about him and his girlfriend being in a fight. Reminds me a bit of It's All Been Done.

    Anyway Steven Page actually said in the greatest hits CD jacket that it just sounded like the radio. Makes sense to me, it was upbeat and fun, they talked too fast for anyone to grasp really how weird the lyrics are.


    Anyway, referring to the quote I copied, even if they are making fun of pop culture and became popular themselves, isn't that a sign that they still hold all the cards? They are making fun of all the gimmicky popular songs and proving just how easy it is to make one. In a single song they can make fun of all their competition and even the fans who gave them their popularity without realizing.

  2. anonymous
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    Jun 16th 2019 !⃝

    The song is about a fight, a week spent apart, and the eventual making-up.

    The refrain gives details about the fight while the verse explains, in mind numbing detail, the man's week in exile: Watching TV and hanging out with his idiot friends.

  3. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Nov 14th 2011 !⃝

    I believe the songwriters is based off when his dog had an accident in the living room( three days since the living room) and theres a whole lot of references to dog behavior (i wanted to say im sorry but couldnt tell you/ i have a tendecy of losing my shirt- dog stealing the shirt.. ect) and sorry for shit for brains spelling an grammar

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jun 19th 2011 !⃝

    The song is jumbled, but very fun. The fact that its so poppy and fast paced makes it appealing. Although it has meaning. He is giving random hints of how he is. "I wear my mind on my sleeve, I have a history of losing my shirt" means that he loses his mind aswell. If his mind is on his sleeve, while his shirt is gone he has no sense. Overall its a good song. And I like it. People dont care for meaning anymore, its all about fast, random words placed together(i.e."poker face mah mah mah maaaah", or "terracotta pie, banana banana banana banana terracotta, banana, terracotta pie!") Btw, I love all music, including the two IEs I have there, (Poker Face, Lady Gaga. Vicinity of Obscenity, System of a Down.)

  5. anonymous
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    Jun 18th 2011 !⃝

    This is a fun song but is in no way a fluff song. The song is great - it is a snapshot of pop culture as the band saw and experienced it at the time, wrapped around a relationship plot.

    Crank up the song. Really LISTEN to it. Listen closely to all the musical tweaks, back beats, and other background stuff that is going on. How about the horn squeak after mentioning Bert Kaempfert? Hilarious. If you are too young to know who the heck Mr. Kaempfert is then do a little research and open your mind.

    Also listen to how the words are manipulated by Ed Robertson. He did a great interpretation of the lyrics and put real feeling behind the words. Kudos also to the various background vocals and harmonies.

    There is some seriously weird vocal and musical background shit going on and it is fantastic. There is no way they blew through this song as a lark - a lot of time had to be spent in the recording studio to produce this recording.

    It was overplayed at the time and I did get sick of it. But now that time has passed, I listen to it and I laugh, reminisce, tap my foot to the beat, and thoroughly enjoy this gem.

    Great song, great band.

    Pop music - gotta love it!

  6. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Mar 31st 2009 !⃝

    I've always thought of this song as a fairly nonsense-oriented romp about a relationship between a guy who's easygoing and loves life, but is a little slow (allowing him to see the world as bright and sunny a little more, and to be even more laidback.) the girl is a nut, a controlling and short-fused girl who is actually very sweet inside when she wants to be.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 13th 2009 !⃝

    "Only thing I can offer on this one is about the last line.Birchmount Stadium is in or near Toronto,and is known as the home of the robbie.How in the hell I know that I have no clue,Im from Florida."

    Well Chad, i'm gonna say you know that because you probably googled searched it at some point after hearing the line. just my thought.

    But any way, it's kinda like Loser by Beck, there's a point to it, but it's really just a bunch of random ass lines tossed together to make a song. still great though.

  8. CHAD
    click a star to vote
    Nov 5th 2008 !⃝

    Only thing I can offer on this one is about the last line.Birchmount Stadium is in or near Toronto,and is known as the home of the robbie.How in the hell I know that I have no clue,Im from Florida.

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jul 13th 2008 !⃝

    I love this song. It does have a meaning (about a couple going through a fight), but for the most part it's just fun to sing, and I'm sure it was fun to write.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  10. anonymous
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    Jul 2nd 2008 !⃝

    It's just random stuff about pop culture.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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    Jun 13th 2007 !⃝

    It's a mix between a parody & a break up song that kinda reminds me of "Why don't You Get a Job" by the Offspring

  12. anonymous
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    May 24th 2007 !⃝

    I read somewhere that this wasn't even meant for an album it was just kinda for the heck of it, but they released it just to see and it ended up being pretty popular...go figure.

  13. anonymous
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    Mar 26th 2007 !⃝

    Ha, this song is great. Has something to do with fights and relationships. But really, don't look too deeply into it.

  14. anonymous
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    Oct 6th 2006 !⃝

    Your all wrong!! We think it's about his relationships. Alot of the song is really just about him, eg... Vanilla is the finest of the flavours, I'm a kinda who laughs at a funeral.

  15. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 7th 2006 !⃝

    I think it's just a parody taking the mickey out of popular culture, look at all the references they put in there.

    Of course the great irony is that it did become a piece of popular culture itself being a #1 hit in many countries.

  16. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Jan 29th 2006 !⃝

    This song is sorta a random rap parody type thing that basically deals with a relationship and how they've had a fight but in the end they get back together.
    It's really very light-hearted, and I don't know if it has a giantly deep meaning.

    And of course, the whole line about Sailor Moon and anime girls is just plain funny...

    So it's mostly just a funny song and should be taken as such, I think,


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