"
One" is a song by the Irish
rock band
U2. It is the third track from their 1991 album
Achtung Baby, and it was released as the record's third single in March 1992. During the album's recording sessions at
Hansa Studios in Berlin, conflict arose between the band members over the direction of U2's sound and the quality of their material. Tensions almost prompted the band to break up until they achieved a breakthrough with the improvisation of "One"; the song was written after the band members were inspired by a chord progression that guitarist
the Edge was playing in the studio. The lyrics, written by lead singer
Bono, were inspired by the band members' fractured relationships and the
German reunification. Although the lyrics ostensibly describe "disunity", they have been interpreted in other ways.