All or Nothing Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I know when he's been on your mind
That distant look is in your eyes
I thought with time you'd realize
It's over, over
It's not the way I choose to live
And something somewhere's got to give
As sharing this relationship
Gets older, older

[Pre-Chorus]
You know I'd fight for you
But how can I fight someone who isn't even there?
I've had the rest of you, now I want the best of you
I don't care if that's not fair

[Chorus]
'Cause I want it all or nothing at all
There's no where left to fall
When you reach the bottom, it's now or never
Is it all, or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call?
You leave me here, with nothing at all

[Verse 2]
There are times it seems to me
I'm sharing you in memories
I feel it in my heart, but I don't show it, show it
And then there's times you look at me
As though I'm all that you can see
There's times I don't believe it's right
I know it, know it
[Pre-Chorus]
Don't make me promises
Baby, you never did know how to keep them well
I've had the rest of you, now I want the best of you
It's time to show and tell

[Chorus]
'Cause I want it all or nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom, it's now or never
Is it all, or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call?
You leave me here, with nothing

[Bridge]
'Cause you and I
Could lose it all if you've got no more room
Nowhere, inside, for me in your life
'Cause I want it all or nothing at all
There's nowhere left to fall
It's now or never

[Chorus]
Is it all or nothing at all?
There's nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom, it's now or never
Is it all, or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call?
You leave me here, with nothing at all
Or nothing at all?
There's nowhere left to fall
When you reach the bottom, it's now or never
Is it all, or are we just friends?
Is this how it ends, with a simple telephone call?
You leave me here, with nothing at all
[Outro]
All

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About

Genius Annotation

“All or Nothing” is a song by American boy band O-Town. It was released on July 23rd, 2001 as the second single from their debut album, O-Town. The song was a huge hit the US, reaching #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What did O-Town say about "All or Nothing"?
Genius Answer

That song probably means more to us now than when it was No. 1, just because of the way it makes us feel and makes the fans feel when we perform it live. As soon as it starts, everyone screams. At the end, when everyone’s belting the chorus out, it’s the best moment of the show. The common thing we get asked about that song is, “How sick are you of singing that song?” It means so much to us, 17 years into this career – basically that song has kept us relevant. I get emotional about it, honestly. Standing there [onstage], you hear [fans] screaming it back, I’m looking at my boys and I’m like, “We’re almost 40 and we’re still doing this” [Laughs]. And they’re louder now than they were back then."

Via Billboard

Did the group know there was something special about the chorus?
Genius Answer

Absolutely, when we first heard it. Clive [Davis] was still trying to get to know us and where our sound was, at the same time what he thought we’d be successful doing, and he brought “Liquid Dreams” and “All or Nothing” to the table right away. And “Liquid Dreams,” we weren’t sure if we were on the same page together with him. And then he plays “All or Nothing,” and I think all of us were happy to get the chance to sing that song. We knew that that was going to be our song. And we heard it with just the piano and a vocal. After it was over, we all just kind of looked at each other and we were like, “We’re gonna get to sing this?”

Via Billboard

What about the chorus caught the band's attention?
Genius Answer

There’s certain songs that writers, like Adele, just say something so perfectly, and you’re like, “How come I couldn’t say that? It’s a simple line.” And that is what that song is, to say, “I want it all or nothing.” I think we’ve all said that in a relationship, or had that same feeling. And when somebody writes the song, you’re like, “How have we not written that before? How has it not been a song before?” To us, at least, it was an instant classic because it worded everything so perfectly – the music matched the emotion. What’s funny is that some people just listen to “All or Nothing,” just the [chorus], and we have people coming up saying it’s their wedding song and we’re like, “You know it’s about a breakup, right?” I also think that it’s a moment, because it was the last big boy band song of that era. And it sort of encapsulated the time period, because shortly after that, people don’t even talk on the phone anymore. So the line “One simple telephone call, you leave me here with nothing at all,” that’s not even necessarily the case anymore – there are so many other ways. And even beyond all that, it has an awesome key change. When key changes were still used! It did everything a key change is supposed to do. It’s the song that you cannot sing unless you double fist, close your eyes, pull your elbows down, stick your chin up in the air – that’s what the song does, even for us."

Via Billboard

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