One Way Or Another by Blondie

By: Ron Powers

In 1978, Blondie released their third studio album, Parallel Lines. The song “One Way Or Another” was one of the most popular songs from the album, playing a critical role in propelling the band to the mainstream. With its growling guitar riffs and pioneering new wave sounds this classic hit struck a chord with listeners that continues to ring out decades later. Although the melody has an upbeat feeling, the lyrics were inspired by a frightening experience that front woman Debbie Harry had with a stalker: An experience that prompted her decision to move to New Jersey.

Debbie and the gang get things started with a crunchy guitar riff which was recorded two times with one recording paned to the right speaker and the other to the left. This recording technique gives the sound extra bite and helps the sound stick to the ears. Shortly after the intro guitar, we hear drummer Clem Burke deliver a drum pound accompanied by some decorative lead guitar work by Chris Stein. Once things get moving, bassist Nigel Harrison adds a down beat bass line creating an almost circus like feel to the music. By this point the listener is practically begging to know what the vocals will add to the song and, as you probably already know, Debbie Harry does not disappoint.

The first verse begins with the classic lines, “One way, or another / I'm gonna find ya / I'm gonna get ya get ya, get ya, get ya”. Her musical variation is created with low volume lead guitar lines that dance with the vocal melody and enhance the attitude. Meanwhile the rhythm guitar, bass, and drums maintain essentially the same patterns heard during the intro music.

The chorus of “One Way Or Another” is as unconventional as it is brilliant, relating to the verse more like a standard middle eight than a refrain. Here, the new chord progression provided by Frank Infante offers a stable base for Debbie’s spooky melody and haunting lyrics about a stalker. Chris Stein also adds to the vibe playing a lead line that follows Debbie’s melody while adding ample amounts of vibrato to every note. Finally, drummer Clem Burke steps up his game with a popping new drum beat featuring a kick drum pattern that few percussionists can pull off.

After a couple rounds of the verse to chorus pattern, the band launches into an instrumental. This section of the song sounds like a precursor to what would be known as emo music two decades later. Here the guitars work together with blasts of power cords starting and stopping followed by repetitive lead guitar lines on the high strings. While the guitars play, we hear the drums switch to a breakdown beat peppered with fills while the bass guitar follows the kick drum. For me, the instrumental of “One Way Or Another” marks an evolutionary point in popular music and stands as a testament to the band being ahead of their time.

Blondie is currently preparing to release their 12th studio album later this year. They worked with producer John Congleton on the new songs and say the LP will feature modern inspiration blended with the classic Blondie style. While we wait for the new album, “One Way Or Another” and the rest of Blondie’s fine music is available on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, and most other places music is streamed or sold. If you’d like to learn more about what makes Blondie tick, you can find information on Wikipedia, blondie.net, or in any of the books written about the band. 

Ron Powers