In the song I Want It All by Queen, there are these lyrics:
I'm a man with a one track mind
So much to do in one lifetime (people do you hear me?)
Not a man for compromise and 'wheres' and 'whys' and living lies
So I'm living it all (yes I'm living it all)
And I'm giving it all (and I'm giving it all)
By dictionary, "one track mind" means "having only one interest/think about only one topic". But here he said he wanted to do so much in life. This is kind of contradictory.
What does it mean here? And if there is contradiction, what is the meaning of the whole passage?
Best Answer
In the context of the song:
The "one track mind" refers to his wanting it all, that is all (the only thing) he can think about. The speaker is single-minded, determined and, in this case, extremely focused. In another sense, he is very much aware that life is brief, which means he doesn't want to miss out on anything, he wants to experience everything that life offers him, and the sooner the better “‘I want it all, and I want it now”.
Without context:
is usually used as a euphemism for a man (in this case) whose only thought and interest (fixation) is sex.
Origin:
The “one track” alludes to the single-track railway or to a train that that runs in only one direction. First recorded in 1928 (source)