Morgan Wallen – One Thing At A Time. Lyrics Meaning: The Hilarious Honesty of a Breakup Ultimatum
Ever felt like you’re being asked to juggle a dozen flaming swords at once? You know, when life demands you fix your diet, start exercising, call your mom more, and get over a soul-crushing breakup all in the same week. It feels impossible, right? You just want to scream, “Hey, can I please just deal with one of these things first?” It’s that exact moment of being completely overwhelmed that forms the heart of so many post-breakup struggles.
Now, imagine that feeling, but it’s your ex who’s handing you the to-do list. They want you to get over them, but they also want you to quit all your bad habits cold turkey. It’s the ultimate emotional overload. Well, Morgan Wallen perfectly captures this chaotic headspace in his song “One Thing At A Time,” and he delivers the most brutally honest, and frankly, hilarious, response you could imagine. This isn’t just a song; it’s a declaration of human limitation in the face of heartbreak.
Breaking Down the Bargain in Morgan Wallen’s “One Thing At A Time”
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- Morgan Wallen – Single Than She Was : A Story of When ‘Taken’ Isn’t ‘Gone’
- Morgan Wallen – F150-50 : A 50/50 Shot at Love and Heartbreak
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- Morgan Wallen – Keith Whitley : A Perfect Storm of Whiskey, Memories, and Heartbreak
The song kicks off with a scene we can all picture. A guy, clearly at his breaking point, sitting somewhere—probably a dimly lit bar—and making a request that feels both desperate and defiant. He’s not asking for a solution; he’s asking for a crutch.
Somebody hand me a cigarette
I know I ain’t had one in over a week
Somebody pour me a double shot
Been getting better by the day but tonight I drink
Right off the bat, you can feel his internal battle. He was trying. He was “getting better by the day.” But tonight, the weight is too much. His ex has given him an ultimatum: get over her and get sober simultaneously. It’s a noble request, but our protagonist sees it as an impossible task. He’s basically telling her, and us, that his willpower has a limited supply. He has to choose where to spend it.
And that brings us to the brilliantly straightforward chorus, where he lays out his terms. It’s not a negotiation; it’s a statement of fact. He presents a choice, not for himself, but for her.
I can either burn the bar down
Or I can take your number out my phone
I can give you up right now
Never want you back long as I’m half stoned
He’s saying, “Look, I can focus my energy on getting over you, deleting your number, and moving on. But, if I do that, I’m going to need some help—a drink, a smoke, something to numb the pain of that process.” Or, the alternative is he keeps her memory alive while trying to clean up his other acts. For him, doing both is off the table. The closing line of the chorus seals the deal with a shrug of unapologetic honesty: “I hate to tell ya girl / But I’m only quitting one thing at a time.”
A Cocktail of Coping Mechanisms
As the song continues, Wallen doubles down on this idea. He’s not just making excuses; he’s explaining his method for emotional survival. He acknowledges his problems and the “thousand memories” he needs to forget. He’s not in denial. He’s just being pragmatic about his own weaknesses.
If you ain’t gonna kiss me
Then I’ll take some whiskey
Some grizzly
Nicotine amphetamines too
He’s creating a menu of replacements. If he can’t have her affection—the “kiss”—then he’ll fill that void with something else. It’s a raw look at how people use vices as a stand-in for emotional connection. He then poses the question directly, putting the ball entirely in her court: “You want me to stop some of that / Or you want me to stop loving you / Hey whatchu want me to do.” It’s a clever flip of the script. Suddenly, she’s the one who has to make the choice about his recovery process.
The ‘I Ain’t No Superman’ Confession
Perhaps the most vulnerable and relatable part of the entire song comes in the bridge. It’s a moment of pure self-awareness where he drops all pretense of being a hero who can conquer all his demons at once.
I ain’t no superman
I’m just the way I am
If I’m gonna move on
Then I need me something in my hand
This is it. This is the core message. He’s admitting he’s flawed and that moving on from a significant relationship is a monumental task that, for him, requires a crutch. He isn’t glorifying his habits; he’s framing them as a necessary tool for the much harder job of healing his heart. He’s not a superhero; he’s just a regular guy trying to get through a tough time, one step—or one vice—at a time.
The song isn’t necessarily an endorsement of unhealthy coping mechanisms. Instead, it’s a powerful statement about being realistic with yourself. The real moral here is about recognizing your own limits. Sometimes, trying to fix everything at once leads to fixing nothing at all. There’s a strange kind of wisdom in admitting you’re overwhelmed and choosing to tackle your problems one by one, even if your priority list seems a bit backward to everyone else.
So, what’s your take? Is this song a funny, relatable excuse for putting off the hard work of self-improvement, or is it a genuinely honest look at the messy reality of heartbreak? Do you see his ultimatum as defiant or just plain defeated? I’d love to hear what you think about his “one thing at a time” philosophy!
