Chords + Lyrics | One
Intro
| Amadd4 | D7omit3 |
| Fmaj13 | Gadd4 |
Verse 1
| Amadd4 | D7omit3 |
Is it getting better?
| Fmaj13 | Gadd4 |
Or do you feel the same?
| Amadd4 | D7omit3 |
Will it make it easier on you, now?
| Fmaj13 | Gadd4 |
You’ve got someone to blame, you’ll say:
Chorus 1
| C | Am |
One love, one life.
| Fmaj7 | C |
When it’s one need, in the night.
| C | Am |
One love, we get to share it.
| Fmaj7 | C |
Leaves you baby if you, don’t care for it.
Instrumental 1
| Amadd4 | D7omit3 |
| Fmaj13 | Gadd4 |
Verse 2
Did I disappoint you?
Or leave a bad taste in your mouth?
You act like you never had love.
And you want me to go without, well it’s:
Chorus 2
Too late, tonight.
To drag the past out into the light.
We’re one, but we’re not the same, we get to:
Carry each other, carry each other, one.
Instrumental 2
| Amadd4 | D7omit3 |
| Fmaj13 | Gadd4 |
Verse 3
Have you come here for forgiveness?
Have you come to raise the dead?
Have you come here to play Jesus?
To the lepers in your head.
Chorus 3
Did I ask too much? More than a lot.
You gave me nothin’ now it’s all I’ve got.
We’re one but we’re not the same.
Well we, hurt each other then we do it again, you say:
Middle 8
| C | Am |
Love is a temple, love a higher law.
| C | Am |
Love is a temple, love the higher law.
| C | G |
You ask me to enter but then you make me crawl.
| G | F | F |
And I can’t be holdin’ on, to what you got, when all you got is hurt.
Chorus 4
One love, one blood.
One life, you got to do what you should.
One life, with each other.
Sisters, brothers.
Chorus 5
One life but we’re not the same, We get to:
Carry each other, carry each other.
One.
One.
Instrumental 3 (as chorus)
| C | Am | Fmaj7 | C |
Outro
||: C | Am | Fmaj7 | C :||
Oh, oh, oh, oh. Oh, yeah. Baby, baby, baby.
Higher. Baby, higher. Yeah, yeah, baby.
Higher. Baby, higher.
One Backing Tracks | Chord Analysis
Above, you’ll find backing tracks to use when learning One. I’ve used stem separation to extract the guitar while keeping the drums, bass, keys, horns, and vocals intact.
After studying the chords and TAB, use my backing tracks to prepare for playing this tune with a band.
Should you want to play along with the original recording instead, you need to tune your guitar sharp to 441Hz. In the backing tracks, I’ve done this job for you by tuning it to 440Hz.
Chord Progressions – What’s Going On?
As one of U2’s most beloved songs, One is a masterpiece of layered guitars. While this makes for a captivating listen, it also presents a challenge when playing live as the sole guitarist.
The chords for the intro, verse, and instrumental sections can be defined with different extensions. However, exactly how you play them is open to interpretation, as you need to choose which of the layers to highlight or combine.
Verse
A simplified version of the verse chords would be just Am (VI), Dm (II), F (IV), and G (V). But without the extensions and subtle licks, it doesn’t capture the essence of the song.
Here’s how I would best describe the verse chords with extensions:
||: Amadd4 (VI) | D7omit3 (II) | Fmaj13 (IV) | Gadd4 (IV) :||
Chorus
The chorus is much simpler, providing a refreshing contrast after the complex verse chords:
| C (I) | Am (VI) | Fmaj7 (IV) | C (I) |
To get it right, you need to figure out how to combine the various parts and transfer them into TAB. Once you’ve memorised it, you can return to the chords and use the extensions as a helpful guide.
I’ve done this experiment for you, keep scrolling down this guitar lesson if you want a helping hand.
And here’s a simple chord chart you can use once you’re comfortable with the TAB and have a few ideas of your own.
One Chord Chart | PDF + iReal Pro Download
Should you want to download this chart, here’s a PDF: One chord chart PDF.
This chord chart was created using iReal Pro, here’s a link to that file: One iReal Pro. Using this and the iRealPro app, you can change the key.
One | TAB
Here’s TAB for the intro, verses, and instrumental sections 1 and 2, arranged for one acoustic guitar. Make sure you can see how the described intervals (extensions) are embedded in the part.
Now, let’s put ourselves in a different scenario—playing this as the only electric guitar in a band. In this case, we don’t need to carry the bass or full chords. Instead, we highlight key extensions and melodic fragments.
The chords are still the same—make sure you can identify the intervals.
Next, let’s look at the chorus. The chord progression changes to: I – VI – IV – I. There are fewer extensions here. Here’s TAB for how you might play this on a single acoustic guitar:
Notice how the low F bass note comes in late—use your thumb over the neck to reach it. This mirrors how the initial Am in the verse is played.
Now, here’s how the chorus might be played on electric, this time with the return of those important extensions:
The Edge truly is a master of layering guitar parts and providing subtle variation throughout a song. How he voices chords in One is a brilliant example of this skill.
The examples above will work well on one acoustic guitar. However, if you’re playing electric in a band, you’ll need more variation. Use what I’ve written here as a starting point for developing your own parts and deepening your understanding of chord extensions and layering.
When you feel ready, try it with the backing tracks which sound very strange without the guitars!
One Chords: Continue Learning
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