One World (Not Three) Lyrics
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
[Verse 1]
It's a subject we rarely mention
But when we do we have this little invention
By pretending they're a different world from me
I shelf my responsibility
[Chorus]
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
[Verse 2]
The Third World breathes our air tomorrow
We live on the time we borrow
In our world there's no time for sorrow
In their world there is no tomorrow
[Chorus]
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
[Verse 3]
Lines are drawn upon the world
Before we get our flags unfurled
Whichever one we pick
It's just a self-deluding trick
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
[Verse 4]
I don't want to bring a sour note
Remember this before you vote
We can all sink or we all float
'Cause we're all in the same big boat
[Chorus]
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
One world is enough for all of us
[Outro]
It may seem a million miles away
But it gets a little closer everyday
It may seem a million miles away
But it gets a little closer everyday
It may seem a million miles away
But it gets a little closer everyday
One world
One world
One world
One world
One world
One world
One world
One world
About
In 1981, “One World (Not Three)” was sent to US radio stations and a music video was made for it, but a commercial single was never released.
The song refers to third world countries in need of assistance and advises us that we should all unite together as ‘one world’ instead of dividing ourselves through geographical lines.
Drummer Stewart Copeland had originally written lyrics for the song, but Sting replaced them with his own. Copeland claimed Sting found the term ‘Third World’ to be “patronizing”.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
In a 2000 discussion with Revolver, the band shared the following:
Revolver: One World is the most ‘old-school’ Police song on the album.
Copeland: And it was my favorite song at the time because it did have that early Police vibe, where we jammed on one chord for hours.
Summers: Unfortunately, I never did find out what that one chord was.
Copeland: I guess Sting had a problem with the term ‘Third World’. He thought it patronizing or something. I had all these political arguments about the Cold War. Sting and I would argue about politics, and I would lay waste to his flimsy arguments. There he’d be at the table shattered! Then he’d quickly disappear up into his hotel room. Where he’d…
Sting: Snore, actually.
Copeland: And he’d come in the next morning with one line – just three or four words – that would shatter my logical, geopolitical, arguments. “One World Is Enough!”
Sting: Stewart, you can’t argue with a metaphor.
Summers: There’s a lesson in all this. Metaphors be with you!
- 8.One World (Not Three)
- 9.Ωmegaman
- 10.Secret Journey
- 11.Darkness
