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"One Way or Another" is a song by American New Wave band Blondie from the album Parallel Lines. The song was released as the fourth single in the US andCanada as the follow-up to the #1 hit "Heart of Glass". "One Way or Another" reached #24 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #7 on the RPM 100 Singles.

Contents[]

 [hide*1 Song information

Song information[edit][]

Written by Debbie Harry and Nigel Harrison for the band's third studio album, Parallel Lines (1978), the song was inspired by one of Harry's ex-boyfriends who stalkedher after their break up.[1]

The song was included on the US and Canadian versions of the band's first hits compilation, The Best of Blondie (1981), as it was released as a single there, but not on the international releases. Although never officially released as a single in the United Kingdom, the song charted there in February 2013 due to success of One Direction's cover/mashup "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)".

Blondie released a manipulated live version of the song (with the audience noise removed) as the theme for the 1999 US television series Snoops. This version was released in the US as a bonus track on the Live live album.[2] The original un-edited live version was later included on the European edition of Live, which was re-titledLivid, instead of the manipulated one.[3]

Rolling Stone ranked the song #298 on its list of The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.[4]

Use in popular culture[edit][]

"One Way or Another" is featured in the films Little Darlings (1980), My Best Friend Is a Vampire (1987), Carpool (1996), Beverly Hills Ninja (1997), Donnie Brasco(1997), Coyote Ugly (2000), Mean Girls (2004), Three and Out (2008), The Spy Next Door (2010), Monte Carlo (2011), Puss in Boots (2011), So Undercover(2012) and Cruella (2021). It also plays over the end credits of the film Seed of Chucky (2004). It is heard in the opening moments of The A-Team episode "Incident at Crystal Lake", and the Mexican flash animated comedy film El Agente 00-P2 during a car chase. It plays in the Supernatural episode "My Heart Will Go On" (season 6, episode 17), over the "Sam and Dean can die at any second" montage. Debbie Harry performed the song as the opening act of her episode of The Muppet Show in 1981. It was also in an episode of Psych.

This song was also featured in film trailers such as Undertaking Betty (2002), The Pink Panther (2006) and Furry Vengeance (2010).

The song is a playable track in the video games Rock Band 2Guitar Hero World Tour and Guitar Hero On Tour: Decades. It is also featured in Driver: Parallel Lines.[5] It featured in several 2004 Swiffercommercials[citation needed] and appeared in The Simpsons episode "Bart-Mangled Banner".[citation needed] Actress Kristen Bell sang a karaoke version in one episode of the TV series Veronica Mars.[6] ActressJorja Fox sang the song during one episode of the first season of the TV series CSI: Crime Scene Investigation.[citation needed] In The Rugrats Movie (1998), Angelica sings the song with different lyrics (written by Eryk Casemiro); the soundtrack album includes a longer version of the song heard in the movie.[citation needed] It was featured in the third season of Glee in an episode entitled "Mash Off" where the characterSantana Lopez sang the song as part of a mash up with "Hit Me with Your Best Shot".[citation needed] It was featured in the second season of The Glee Project, in the sixth episode entitled "Fearlessness". The contestants had to sing the same mashup as Lopez in Glee.[citation needed] The song is the title track for Channel 4's 2005–2006 drama Sugar Rush.[citation needed]

Cover versions[edit][]

Alvin and the Chipmunks covered this song in 1983 for the episode "The Incredible Shrinking Dave" from their TV series.

Skate punk band Face to Face covered it as a B-side on their 7" "No Authority" in 1991.

The song was covered in 1998 by the actress Melissa Joan Hart for an episode of her TV series, Sabrina, the Teenage Witch. It was released later that year on the show's soundtrack album.

American hip hop group The Black Eyed Peas interpolated this song on their 1999 single "Karma", from their debut album Behind the Front.

UK singer Sophie Ellis-Bextor recorded a cover version for the soundtrack of the 2002 film The Guru.[7]

Singer Mandy Moore recorded a cover for the 2006 film Aquamarine.[8]

British boy band One Direction covered "One Way or Another" as a mashup with "Teenage Kicks" called "One Way or Another (Teenage Kicks)" and released it as a single in support of Comic Relief in February 2013.[9]

Rapper G-Dep interpolated this song on the track "One Way" on his album, Child of the Ghetto.

The Pretenders also made a cover of "One Way or Another".

Polish rap rock band Terra Bite made a cover which they performed on the sixth edition of the Polish talent show Must Be the Music.[10]

Track listing[edit][]

US 7" (CHS 2336)
  1. "One Way or Another" (Nigel HarrisonDebbie Harry) – 3:31
  2. "Just Go Away" (Harry) – 3:21
US 12" promo (CHS 10 PDJ)
  1. "One Way or Another" (Harrison, Harry) – 3:31

Chart peaks[edit][]

Chart (1979) Peak

position

Canadian RPM Adult Contemporary[11] 8
Canadian RPM Top Singles[12] 7
U.S. Billboard Hot 100[13] 24
Chart (2013) Peak

position

UK (Official Charts Company) 98

Year-end charts[edit][]

Chart (1979) Peak

position

Canadian RPM 1979 Top 100 Singles[14] 61
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