Written by: Beck Hansen
Versions:
- One of These Days (4:43)
Available on Beck - Super Rare! Vol. 1 and 2 other releases.
CreditsJustin Meldal-Johnsen: Bass, Engineer
Mickey Petralia: Engineer, Mix
Tony Hoffer: Engineer
Beck Hansen: Guitar, Keyboard / Synthesizer, Producer, Vocals
Roger Joseph Manning Jr.: Keyboard / Synthesizer, Percussion
Lyrics:
One of These Days [Version (a)]:
One of these days, I hope it's soon
I'll see you smiling the way you do
Walking on splinters, somewhere unknown
It's getting better, that much I know
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
Cardboard faces with nowhere to look
One in a million, that's how long it took
Up on the bridge, nowhere to go
Empty and cold, burning a light bulb
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, I hope it's soon
I'll see you smiling the way you do
Walking on splinters, somewhere unknown
It's getting better, that much I know
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
Cardboard faces with nowhere to look
One in a million, that's how long it took
Up on the bridge, nowhere to go
Empty and cold, burning a light bulb
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna love you on my mind
One of these days, one of these days
I'm gonna let the world go by
One of these days, one of these days
The Song:
"One of These Days" is a fairly straight-forward pop rock song, which I guess is kind of rare for Beck. The musical backing and sleepy melody is nice, but a lot of the songs seems to hint at something deeper which just is not there. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but what seems to be missing (and is missed) is Beck's usual strong imagery. Beck often fills his songs with such striking and original phrases and rhymes, that the almost generic and banal quality of much of what is here is almost a shock. He just floats through it, offering borderline cliches like "One of these days / I hope it's soon / I'll see you smiling the way you do." The second verse is a nice one though, with the "cardboard faces" and the "empty and cold / burning a light bulb" feeling. Fortunately, he sounds somewhat sincere, and the hazy atmosphere of the song helps.
One line here ("Up on the bridge, nowhere to go / Empty and cold, burning a light bulb") previously appeared way back on Golden Feelings. "People Gettin' Busy" begins with a snippet of a folk song with the lyrics "Walk to the bridge, stand like a fridge / Empty and cold, burning a light bulb."
"One of These Days" is a fairly straight-forward pop rock song, which I guess is kind of rare for Beck. The musical backing and sleepy melody is nice, but a lot of the songs seems to hint at something deeper which just is not there. That's not a bad thing necessarily, but what seems to be missing (and is missed) is Beck's usual strong imagery. Beck often fills his songs with such striking and original phrases and rhymes, that the almost generic and banal quality of much of what is here is almost a shock. He just floats through it, offering borderline cliches like "One of these days / I hope it's soon / I'll see you smiling the way you do." The second verse is a nice one though, with the "cardboard faces" and the "empty and cold / burning a light bulb" feeling. Fortunately, he sounds somewhat sincere, and the hazy atmosphere of the song helps.
One line here ("Up on the bridge, nowhere to go / Empty and cold, burning a light bulb") previously appeared way back on Golden Feelings. "People Gettin' Busy" begins with a snippet of a folk song with the lyrics "Walk to the bridge, stand like a fridge / Empty and cold, burning a light bulb."
Live:
Played live 10 times:
Earliest known live version: April 12, 1999
Latest known live version: August 22, 2000
Spring 1999 Mutations tour
Beck did play "One Of These Days" live on the Japanese Mutations tour dates of 1999 (he always seems to toss in some b-sides in Japan).
"One of These Days" was premiered on stage on April 12 1999, the second of an eight-show tour of Japan in support of Mutations. The version on April 19 is quite pretty, and as I said above, there's a bit more sparkle in the dusty old song when it's performed on stage. Beck changes the "it's getting better, that much I know" line to "it's getting later, nowhere to go."
He then also did it twice in Los Angeles upon his return.
2000 post-Mutations
Beck did the song two final times in 2000, but not as part of the Midnite Vultures tour. They were acoustic-based shows, so he dusted off "One Of These Days."
On July 2 2000, at the This Ain't No Picnic Festival, Beck took the chance to play a number of songs that he just does not get to do all that often. The "One Of These Days" is led by a rolling acoustic guitar and some flute by Brass Menagerie member, David Ralicke. It had a much better arrangement than ever before. Beck has some trouble in the beginning remembering the lyrics correctly, and ends up changing the verses fairly drastically:
Then on August 22 2000, Beck did a show in Amsterdam where the first half was full band acoustic and second half was electric. (One of the first times they did this.) The band included "One Of These Days" in the former.
It has not been played since.
Played live 10 times:
April 12, 1999
April 14, 1999
April 16, 1999
April 18, 1999
April 19, 1999
April 21, 1999
May 8, 1999
May 9, 1999
July 2, 2000
August 22, 2000
April 14, 1999
April 16, 1999
April 18, 1999
April 19, 1999
April 21, 1999
May 8, 1999
May 9, 1999
July 2, 2000
August 22, 2000
Earliest known live version: April 12, 1999
Latest known live version: August 22, 2000
Spring 1999 Mutations tour
Beck did play "One Of These Days" live on the Japanese Mutations tour dates of 1999 (he always seems to toss in some b-sides in Japan).
"One of These Days" was premiered on stage on April 12 1999, the second of an eight-show tour of Japan in support of Mutations. The version on April 19 is quite pretty, and as I said above, there's a bit more sparkle in the dusty old song when it's performed on stage. Beck changes the "it's getting better, that much I know" line to "it's getting later, nowhere to go."
He then also did it twice in Los Angeles upon his return.
2000 post-Mutations
Beck did the song two final times in 2000, but not as part of the Midnite Vultures tour. They were acoustic-based shows, so he dusted off "One Of These Days."
On July 2 2000, at the This Ain't No Picnic Festival, Beck took the chance to play a number of songs that he just does not get to do all that often. The "One Of These Days" is led by a rolling acoustic guitar and some flute by Brass Menagerie member, David Ralicke. It had a much better arrangement than ever before. Beck has some trouble in the beginning remembering the lyrics correctly, and ends up changing the verses fairly drastically:
One of these days, I hope it's soon
I'll see you smiling, I'll see you
Out in the rain, somewhere unknown
Looking for something to call your own
Cardboard faces blowing away
Down in the gutter, my burden lays
Up on the bridge, somewhere unknown
Looking for something you'll never know
Then on August 22 2000, Beck did a show in Amsterdam where the first half was full band acoustic and second half was electric. (One of the first times they did this.) The band included "One Of These Days" in the former.
It has not been played since.
Notes:
- I'm told that "cardboard faces" is a reference to one of beat poet Charles Bukowski's poems. I cannot locate which one... does anyone know exactly?
[update] From one of Bukowski's journals: here:
But right now, it's the faces of the horseplayers, cardboard faces, horrible, evil, blank, greedy, dying faces, day papers, watching the changes on the toteboard as they are being ground away to lett and less, as I stand there with them, as I am one with them. We are sick, the suckerfish of hope. Our poor clothing, our old cars. We move toward the mirage, our lives wasted like everyboy else's..."