"You're the One" is a song by American
rock band
Greta Van Fleet. It was their second single off of their first studio album ''
Anthem of the Peaceful Army''. It reached number one on the ''
Billboard
A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertise ...
''
Mainstream Rock Songs chart in March 2019.
Background
The song was released as the second single from the band's first studio album ''
Anthem of the Peaceful Army'' on October 16, 2018, three days prior to the album's release.
A live acoustic version was recorded prior for
Radio.com, and released on the same day.
The song was the earliest written song on the album, being written when brother Jake and Josh Kiszka were just 17 years old in 2013. The song is credited as being written by all four member of the band. Prior to the song’s release as a single, the band performed the song live in March 2018 with
Elton John
Sir Elton Hercules John (born Reginald Kenneth Dwight; 25 March 1947) is a British singer, pianist and composer. Commonly nicknamed the "Rocket Man" after his 1972 hit single of the same name, John has led a commercially successful career a ...
at his benefit for the
Elton John AIDS Foundation. On January 18, 2019, the band performed the song and “
Black Smoke Rising
''Black Smoke Rising'' is the debut EP by American rock band Greta Van Fleet. It was released digitally on April 21, 2017, and physically on August 7, 2017 by Republic Records. The single "Highway Tune" topped the ''Billboard'' Mainstream Rock and ...
” live on ''
Saturday Night Live''. A clip of the recording of 'You're the One' went viral on
TikTok for
Josh Kiszka's dramatic head movements.
Composition and themes
Musically, journalist described the song as a "
rock ballad" and "more laid back" than much of the band's material released at the time.
Jake Kiszka described the song as being inspired by the
1960s folk music revival, taking inspiration from artists such as
Bob Dylan,
Joni Mitchell
Roberta Joan "Joni" Mitchell ( Anderson; born November 7, 1943) is a Canadian-American musician, producer, and painter. Among the most influential singer-songwriters to emerge from the 1960s folk music circuit, Mitchell became known for her sta ...
and
Joan Baez. The song was described as melodic, mid-tempo song, with a backing track of clean guitar notes, bass, drums, and
organ
Organ may refer to:
Biology
* Organ (biology), a part of an organism
Musical instruments
* Organ (music), a family of keyboard musical instruments characterized by sustained tone
** Electronic organ, an electronic keyboard instrument
** Hammond ...
.
Beyond the common comparisons the band commonly receives to the work of
Led Zeppelin, the song was also compared to the work of
The Allman Brothers and
Bad Company.
The drumming was described as similar to the Led Zeppelin song "
Your Time is Gonna Come".
Lyrically, the song was described as a "dirt-road-rambling, lovelorn tune".
While generally described as a heartfelt love song about unrequited love for a female, it was also noted how at one point, the narrator describes her as young, pretty, and evil.
Reception
Uproxx praised the song for having a "huge and catchy chorus that is begging to be chanted by a festival crowd" and "a gorgeous song that features a sense of timelessness that few modern rock bands could pull off."
Personnel
Band
*Joshua Kiszka – vocals
*Jacob Kiszka – guitar, backing vocals
*Samuel Kiszka – bass guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
*Daniel Wagner – drums, backing vocals
Charts
Weekly charts
Year-end charts
References
{{Authority control
Greta Van Fleet songs
2010s ballads
2018 songs
2018 singles
Republic Records singles
Rock ballads