1978 · Behind the Songs
Relentless, and catchy because of it.
“One Way or Another,” from Parallel Lines (1978), is a driving rock song about someone who will not let go. The vocal chases the beat, the guitar pushes forward, and the chorus feels like a pursuit that will not stop. It is less polished than “Heart of Glass,” and that roughness suits the subject: a person who keeps coming back, one way or another, no matter what is said to stop them.
The song’s energy is what has kept it alive. It is not a ballad about longing from a distance; it is a song about insistence up close. That directness, paired with Harry’s confident delivery, makes it one of Blondie’s most enduring rock songs, and a reminder that the band could be as tough as they were stylish.