Chords + Lyrics | One
Intro
||: Cm | Cm :||
Verse 1
||: Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 :||
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
Two can be as bad as one, it’s the loneliest number since the number one.
Instrumental
| Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 |
Verse 2
||: Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 :||
“No” is the saddest experience you’ll ever know.
Yes, it’s the saddest experience you’ll ever know.
Because one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever know.
Bridge 1
| Cm | Cm7 | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Eb7 | Ebadd9 Eb |
It’s just no good anymore since you went away.
| Ab | Abm | Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 |
Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday.
Verse 3
Because one is the loneliest number, that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number, that you’ll ever know.
One is the loneliest number, one is the loneliest number.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number much, much worse than two.
One is the number divided by two.
Outro
||: Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 :||
One.
One is the loneliest number.
One | Chords + Lyrics (capo 3)
Intro
||: Am | Am :||
Verse 1
||: Am | Am7 | Am6 | Amb6 :||
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
Two can be as bad as one, it’s the loneliest number since the number one.
Instrumental
| Am | Am7/G | Am/F# | Am/F |
Verse 2
||: Am | Am7/G | Am/F# | Am/F :||
“No” is the saddest experience you’ll ever know.
Yes, it’s the saddest experience you’ll ever know.
Because one is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever know.
Bridge 1
| Am | Am7/G | C | Cmaj7 | C7 | Cadd9 C |
It’s just no good anymore since you went away.
| F | Fm | Am | Am7/G | Am/F# | Am/F |
Now I spend my time just making rhymes of yesterday.
Verse 3 (as verse 2)
Because one is the loneliest number, that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number, that you’ll ever know.
One is the loneliest number, one is the loneliest number.
One is the loneliest number that you’ll ever do.
One is the loneliest number much, much worse than two.
One is the number divided by two.
Outro
||: Am | Am7 | Am6 | Amb6 :||
One.
One is the loneliest number.
One Chords: Understanding Extensions and Modal Shifts
The chords of Harry Nilsson’s One provide an excellent opportunity to delve deeper into harmony.
Verse
When played in a band with a bass player, you don’t need a capo. You can think of One‘s chords as being in the key of Cm, playing the descending extensions as follows:
||: Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 :||
Here, we have modal interchange at play, as no mode contains both a 6th and a b6. We are temporarily switching from the Aeolian mode to Dorian.
Compare this progression to Sunny Afternoon and Ain’t No Mountain High Enough for more insight.
Bridge
The bridge briefly resolves to chord I before also manipulating extensions:
| Cm | Cm7 | Eb | Ebmaj7 | Eb7 | Ebadd9 Eb |
| Ab | Abm | Cm | Cm7 | Cm6 | Cmb6 |
Eb is chord I, Ab is IV, and Abm is IVm—the saddest, or perhaps loneliest, of chords.
One Chords: Playing Solo on Acoustic with Extensions and Bass Movement
When playing this tune solo on acoustic guitar (with a capo on fret 3), you can’t just play the extensions as described above for long. But you can start this way, playing:
||: Am | Am7 | Am6 | Amb6 :||
However, this approach won’t feel complete for long. What you want to do is move the descending concept into the bass, as the bass player would. Here’s how you can do that:
||: Am | Am7/G | Am/F# | Am/F :||
Make sure you notice how the extensions and bass line use the same notes. You could also spell the chords like this:
||: Am | Am7/G | F#m7b5 | Fmaj7 :||
Ensure you can see how these are essentially the same thing.
Bridge
When thinking in the key of Am, the bridge becomes:
| Am | Am7/G | C | Cmaj7 | C7 | Cadd9 C |
| F | Fm | Am | Am7/G | Am/F# | Am/F |
You’ll likely see how C is chord I, F is IV, and Fm (IVm) is the loneliest chord you’ll encounter in this key.
There’s a TAB available for playing this both in a band (Cm) and solo (in the key of Am with a capo on fret 3).
Here’s the link to that part of the lesson: One (Harry Nilsson) – Guitar Lesson with TAB.
After practising with the TAB (both with and without a capo) and playing along with Harry, this simple chord chart will be all you need for your performance.
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 which is what you want to do if you play One’s chords on your own (to Am).
One TAB | Course Preview
In the course, we mainly focus on acoustic TAB for how to play Harry Nilsson’s One, covering all key sections using a capo and thinking in Am.
As a preview, here’s one acoustic idea for the verse:
One was Harry Nilsson’s only major hit that he wrote, with the rest of his success coming from covers!
Known as The Beatles’ favourite American songwriter, it’s ironic that Nilsson’s biggest hits were covers, most notably Everybody’s Talkin’ and Without You.
The incredibly melancholic One may not be a party starter, but it’s a perfect song for an audition or a credible cover on an album.
For me, there are many valuable harmonic lessons in this piece (as detailed above), as well as remarkable production. The song feels so organic and authentic; I can listen to it on repeat all day. The bass is panned to one side, and the strings interplay beautifully with the vocal. The electric piano, panned to the opposite side, works wonderfully with the bass.
If you’re playing it on a single guitar, you can constantly adapt your part to mimic how the arrangement shifts throughout, making it an excellent song for gigs—although, sadly, its melancholic nature might not be a perfect fit for the typical gig atmosphere.
One Chords: Continue Learning
Want to master this song? Check out the full TAB lesson here: One (Harry Nilsson) Guitar Lesson with TAB.
Alternatively, here are five similar tunes you might enjoy:
