Even though the cost of living will be somewhat lower when you go from being a couple in retirement to a single retiree, there are still fixed costs that don’t reduce. The costs for certain things such as accommodations, property taxes, utilities and so on are the same whether there is one person living there, or two. And now the survivor will have less income and, in certain situations, higher taxation on that lower income. One is not only the loneliest number, but it can also be the most challenging financially.
The song “One” was written by Harry Nilsson. His inspiration for this composition came after he placed a phone call to someone with whom he was deeply in love and whose affections he was seeking. The joyful anticipation of hearing her voice was replaced by his dismay in hearing a busy signal at the other end. Demoralized, Nilsson stayed on the line listening to the “beep, beep, beep, beep” of the busy tone that would not allow him to talk to the one he so dearly loved. The opening notes of the song feature a pulsing keyboard beat, replicating the auditory sameness and meter of a busy signal as you are carried into the opening lyrics. The song was covered by Three Dog Night and released in April 1969. It was the third single from their first album, and it reached the number-five spot on the Billboard Hot 100. from Chapter 16
