Music Review: Peter Cetera "One Good Woman"

Peter Cetera

One Good Woman

Album: One More Story

Year: 1988

           Peter Cetera has the most perfect girlfriend in the  laughable “One Good Woman.”

            A giddy piano opens the single, setting a mawkish tone. He brushes a strand of hair away from her neck and continues to stare at her. She flips through the magazines on the table and looks up. She asks him if there was something wrong. He says no, just enjoying looking at her. His friends always grin when he mentions her. She knows him so well. She isn’t afraid to tell him what she feels. He believes people should have someone like her in their lives. (“I am so in love with you/I just can't deny it/Everybody knows I can't deny it/Everybody knows/You can read me like a book/Just like a fortune teller/Everybody needs a fortune teller/Telling you the very truth.”)

            In the chorus, he says she makes him feel alive. He feels special because of her. It’s how it should be for every guy. (“You bring me feelin', you bring me fire/You give me love that's taking me higher/Just goes to prove what one good woman can do.”)

      Since they have been dating, he’s become more open. He’s a lot easier to be around and his moodiness has gone. She listens to his problems and lets him be himself. He can depend on her. He also know if he gets into trouble, she will lead the way. She won’t let him make a mistake that would ruin his future. It’s her influence his family and friends notice. (“You bring out the best in me/With love and understanding/Anytime I need some understanding/You are always there/If I ever lose my way/You're always there to guide me/Anyone can see you're here inside me/Anyone can see it.”)

         In the extended chorus, he says that he learned how to love and be a proper partner for someone else. (“You bring me feelin', you bring me fire..You fill me with hope, love and devotion/You taught me how to show my emotion/Just goes to prove what one good woman can do.”)

           In the bridge, he says the last five years have been great. They work on their relationship and keeping themselves out of a rut. He likes seeing her after work and giving her a hello kiss. It’s a friendly face. (“This is our time, we have it all/We have a way of knowing/If we're heading for a fall/We'll work it out and get it right/When I get home to you/You're such a sight for my poor eyes/This is our time, we have it all/When I come home at night/You're such a sight for my poor eyes.”)

              The extended chorus is sung twice to end the single.

              Cetera’s natural Auto-Tuned vocals clink against the notes, showing occasion signs of life during the chorus. Otherwise, it doesn’t seem real, even by current standards. It is one the 80s greatest mysteries: how does Cetera sound like he’s recording from inside an aluminum can. The technology wasn’t even there yet. Dun dun dun.

            The  square  “One Good Woman” by gosh, has developed mold on its cheese.