This is Only Going to Go One Way

Song Meaning

The lyrics paint a stark picture of a relationship trapped in a cycle of inevitable conflict, where every path leads to the same destructive outcome. The opening lines immediately establish a sense of loss, contrasting a past with "six ways to Sunday" – implying freedom and multiple options – with a present that "only going to go one way." This sets a tone of resignation, a feeling that choice has evaporated, leaving only a singular, predetermined, and likely unpleasant, destination. The central tension lies in the shared, yet unspoken, animosity between two people who seem bound together by their mutual destructive impulses. Phrases like "considered punching his face in" and "dreamt of shortening her life" reveal a deep-seated rage. Yet, the lyrics also suggest a perverse codependency, with the narrator observing, "Get a room, you're meant for each other," highlighting how their shared negativity makes them inseparable, even as they wish each other harm. The song employs a series of dark, almost absurd, pronouncements from various figures to underscore its fatalistic message. A "peg-leg captain's ghost" advises flipping a coin when faced with "the devil and the deep blue sea," a classic dilemma where no good option exists. Later, an "old magician" swallowing strychnine laments his "greatest trick can only / Be performed one time," a grim metaphor for a singular, irreversible act. These figures, detached and often morbid, amplify the sense that the situation is beyond control and that a dramatic, final event is imminent. Ultimately, the effectiveness of these lyrics stems from their relentless focus on a singular, unavoidable trajectory. The repeated refrain, "This is only going to go one way," acts as a hammer blow, driving home the feeling of inescapable doom. The final chorus, with its imagery of hurtling down an "expressway" and opening "the doors to the bomb bay," escalates the sense of impending catastrophe, suggesting that the inevitable end will be both sudden and devastating, a final, irreversible act that seals their shared fate.