The One I Love

I seem to be in minority here, but I never thought this song to be about "false love" or "hate" or anything like that. It might be because of my personal experiences.

I think it's like if you were doing something (anything, even singing this) and thinking about the person you loved the most, the person you are no longer with, in this case probably because of your own fault (one I've left). Kind of "wish you were here" sentiment. Whatever you do "goes out to the one you love" in the sense that you wish this person was here with you participating in whatever you are doing (in other words "this one" doesn't have to mean the song, it could be anything). To me this song is about obsessive love.

And the "prop" is not the person, it's whatever you fill your time with to try to forget about the one you love, the one you can't be with. The variation at the end just states that the prop, whatever it was, has occupied some of his time, but the feeling hasn't changed.

And "Fire...!!!" to me represents the torment of being in this position of being able to do nothing but miss what you had and what is now gone. It does almost feel like burning from inside. Especially the way MS sings this song in the acoustic version. I don't think it's full of hate, more like extreme pain.

I wouldn't want it on my wedding that's for sure, but on the other hand I think love is completely real in this one, even too real. It's an obsession.

Just my take on this.

I read this song as the lament of a person who DOES "love" (in his/ her own fashion) the person to whom (s/he) is singing, but is unable to avoid "keeping busy" in the object's absence. And the lyric change, from "a simple prop" to "another prop," indicates a sort of resignation with the whole situation. perhaps the speaker isn't necessarily -happy- about his/ her behaviors, but is compelled to seek these props nevertheless.

Now, I agree, using the term "love" might be an overstatement... perhaps too much depth of emotion, but perhaps it is "love" as the subject understands it/ is capable of feeling. Further, I certainly wouldn't want to be the object of the speaker's "love," nor would I want to be the prop who keeps him/ her busy.

And why would the speaker need/ want/ use a prop? Narcissism. Inadequacy. Fear (of self, of others). Anger. Validation. Resignation. Some psychotic thought process. Borderline personality disorder. (Perceived) self-defense. Retaliation. It could go on & on...

A narcissist doesnt love anyone..they use everyone as a prop and drain them to get narcissistic supply. This song is written to the victim of this type of love. They use you until you are empty and then move on to their next prop.

I always viewed this song as a man who chose one girl over his love and later regretted it. “This one goes out to the one I love. Fire!” - Firing himself off like a bullet to get to his love before it’s too late. I know there’s probably a different meaning, but that’s how great artists work. They make a song anyone can relate to

When I was 17 I fell in love with an 18 YO women, but did not have the maturity to initiate or maintain a romantic relationship with her. I knew the situation for what it was, but continued to pine for her anyway.

This song is about an unrequited love. The singer is in love with a women but does not yet have the maturity to begin or maintain a relationship with her. He may even be self aware of the fact that although he desires this woman, he will have to wait for his own personal growth in order to love either her or anyone for that matter. His obsession with her was an emotional outlet until he has the maturity for a real relationship, making the women a simple prop to occupy his time until he has the emotional maturity for a real relationship.

Because people are always moving and evolving, the singer eventually moved on and so did the object of his affection. Even though he has moved on or the woman has moved on in his life, he is honoring or respecting her by dedicating this song to her memory,

Just the line 'a simple prop, to occupy me time' is superb. If you don't listen closely, you could be dcieved that this was a 'beautiful song' - as my mother beleived it to be for about 5 years!

Well, I was 17 when this song was released and hit the Top 40. I have ALWAYS heard it was a "hate" song. In particular, Stipe was singing it to a former (male) lover. Imagine that the chorus has the unspoken lines "Ready, Aim..." before he sings "Fire!" The song is about being tormented by a duplicitous ex-lover who you wished you could see at the receiving end of a firing line. Alanis Morrisette eat your heart out.

This and "Born in the U.S.A." by Bruce Springsteen are two of the most famously misinterpreted songs of all time. It's not so hard to understand what he's saying here. The music isn't that of a love song, and neither are the lyrics. I think he could be talking to someone he used to love and now he's dismissing his past feelings as a "simple prop to occupy my time", in denial. Or, he could be insulting his former feelings and seeing through them, and seeing what they really were (something to make him happy). In this way, it may be about seeing how he thought it was love, but it was really a search for happiness, or even a quest to quell his boredom.

Hears my take. Its not a song about Love, Its about what people call love. Whata people think love is, what they try and convince themselves love is:

Being 'In' love and loving somone are not the same thing.

Obsession can feel like love but it pales sooner or later and the person is forgotton, the 'fire' burns out as quickly as it flared, and another takes his/her place.

How many times have you seen somone get into a really intense relationship fueled by their own neurosis? to fill that black hole inside of them? Almost like a junky getting a fix?

It always ends and another 'Prop' takes over where the last left off. Leaving the junky to 'come down on their own'.

Is this in fact the true nature of Love? If it feels intense for even a second is it real love? If you SAY is love then does that make it true? is it possible to leave someone you truely love and treat them like a 'simple prop'?

Is the song really saying that is the case and that a higher 'Pure' version of love does not exist. Or is it an outside perspecive on what is essentially a self serving involvement with another person, explained and accepted as a 'love affair'? THIS IS NOT LOVE!

Also I have noticed that Stipe seems to use 'Fire' or references to fire as a byword for corruption.

So its a very cynical song but at the same time kind of idealistic, trying to show us up for the fools we are.

This is a song about a pyromaniac who built a stage prop, didn't like it, burned it down and built another.

OR

A guy who left behind a heroin addicted lover after discovering that he really didn't care for her or doing drugs any more. The chorus "Fire (She's coming down on her own, now)" means he left her to deal with her heroin withdrawls on her own. Unfortunately this guys seems to repeat his pattern of getting into these types of relationships as he moves on to another one and goes through the same thing.

Just a practical interpretation by a joker.