The One That Got Away

The One That Got Away
Single artwork
General information
Artist	Katy Perry
Release date	September 30, 2011
Studio	Conway Recording Studios, (Hollywood, California)
Genre	Pop
Length	3:47
Album	Teenage Dream
Label	Capitol
Songwriter(s)	Katy Perry Max Martin Dr. Luke
Producer(s)	Dr Luke • Max Martin
Singles chronology
Previous	"Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)"
Current	"The One That Got Away"
Next	"Part of Me"
Teenage Dream chronology
"Circle the Drain"
"The One That Got Away"
"E.T."

"The One That Got Away" is a song written by Katy Perry, Max Martin, and Dr. Luke. Max Martin and Dr. Luke also produced the song. The song is included in the album, Teenage Dream, and serves as the sixth and final single off of the album. It's a mid-tempo pop ballad about the bittersweet story of a lost love. The single reached the top of Billboard's Hot Dance Club Songs, Adult Top 40 chart, Mainstream Top 40 chart, both more than any other album in chart's history.

Background

Katy Perry revealed the inspiration behind the song during an interview with TheDirt.com. She said it came from looking back at a past relationship wondering where you two would be if the relationship never ended. "Its a song about the one that got away, you know? I think a lot of people will relate to it, especially if you're like a Facebook fan. People will Facebook you from your past, you know, they'll creep up on you-they'll find you and all of a sudden you are looking though their pictures and you're like 'oh my god...we were supposed to get married' or like 'those kids are supposed to be mine'. It's like this weird thing." She continued by adding "or you know when you're young and you promise the world to that other person and it just doesn't work out."

Upon the single release announcement of the song Perry released a statement from the label concerning the release,

“	I'm so pleased to select 'The One That Got Away' as my sixth single because this song shows a very different side of me that I haven't shown with my past singles on this record. I think that everyone can relate to this song. I wrote (it) about when you promise someone forever, but you end up not being able to follow through. It's a bittersweet story. Hopefully, the listener learns from hearing it and never has to say they had 'The One' get away."	”
—Katy Perry

Artwork

On September 28, 2011, Katy Perry tweeted the words "The One That Got Away... It's happening!!!", along with a picture of the official single artwork, via TwitPic. The photo was taken during Perry's photoshoot for the October issue of InStyle. The artwork shows a pink-haired Perry looking up at the sky while wearing a disc-shaped hat. The photo gives a whimsical nod to the 70s, with its distinctively retro appearance. Billboard commented saying that Perry looked "retro and pensive". Amy Sciarretto of PopCrush commented that the artwork shows Perry in a "deep thought and remembering the one that actually did get away from her."

Release

Katy Perry has said she wanted her sixth single from the album to be a 'movement' like her third single "Firework" was and different than the other songs being released. Both songs "Peacock" and "Hummingbird Heartbeat" were speculated to be the sixth single from the album since Katy Perry tweeted on September 1, 2011 "In da studio with @trickystewart I love him! He gives me that hummingbird heartbeat!!! Follow him!!!". But upon the announcement on September 13, 2011 in Irving Plaza in New York City, Perry's label confirmed that "The One That Got Away" would be the official sixth single from the album. Capitol said that they're not specifically releasing the song in hopes of it reaching number one and re-writing Hot 100 history, which most people were assuming, rather the decision came out of "Perry's fondness for the song, its ear-catching hook and her obvious track record of success at pop radio". EMI Music/Capitol Records EVP/marketing and promotion Greg Thompson told Billboard that, "if it goes to No. 1, that would be great, If not, we still have a Katy song on the radio in fourth quarter", presumably boosting sales for Teenage Dream in the Christmas season. Dr. Luke produced a "touch-up" of the song that was released as the radio edit. The edit sounds very similar to the album version with no drastic changes.

Physical releases

The One That Got Away (Radio Mix)

On September 26, 2011 a physical CD was released in Europe and Australia that includes the radio mix of the song along with the official instrumental.

	LABEL	Capitol, Virgin, EMI
	RELEASED	September 26, 2011
	FORMAT	Cardboard sleeve
	Cover photo by Jenny Gage, Tom Betterton Design by N/A	Made in E.U.

#	Track list	LENGTH
1.	"The One That Got Away" (Radio Mix)	3:47
2.	"The One That Got Away" (Instrumental)	3:47
The Katy Perry Wiki

The One That Got Away — The Remixes Promotional Bundle

	LABEL	EMI
	RELEASED	2011
	FORMAT	CDr, Promo, Clear insert
	Cover photo by Jenny Gage, Tom Betterton Design by N/A	Made in Europe

#	Track list	LENGTH
1.	"The One That Got Away" (Radio Mix)	3:53
2.	"The One That Got Away" (Album Version)	3:47
3.	"The One That Got Away" (Instrumental)	3:55
4.	"The One That Got Away" (Call Out Hook)	0:14
5.	"The One That Got Away" (7th Heaven Club Mix)	8:02
6.	"The One That Got Away" (7th Heaven Radio Mix)	4:28
7.	"The One That Got Away" (7th Heaven Dub Mix)	6:03
8.	"The One That Got Away" (7th Heaven Mixshow Edit)	5:51
9.	"The One That Got Away" (JRMX Club Mix)	8:11
10.	"The One That Got Away" (JRMX Mixshow Edit)	6:31
11.	"The One That Got Away" (JRMX Radio Edit)	4:19
12.	"The One That Got Away" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Peak Hour Club Mix)	5:44
13.	"The One That Got Away" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Mixshow Edit)	4:44
14.	"The One That Got Away" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Radio Edit)	3:53
The Katy Perry Wiki

Digital releases

The One That Got Away — The Remixes

	LABEL	Capitol
	RELEASED	December 6, 2011
	FORMAT	Digital
	Cover photo by Jenny Gage, Tom Betterton Design by N/A	Made in iTunes, Amazon

#	Track list	LENGTH
1.	"The One That Got Away" (7th Heaven Club Mix)	8:03
2.	"The One That Got Away" (Mixin Marc & Tony Svejda Peak Hour Club Mix)	5:44
3.	"The One That Got Away" (R3hab Club Mix)	5:49
4.	"The One That Got Away" (Plastic Plates Club Mix)	6:05
5.	"The One That Got Away" (Tommie Sunshine & Disco Fries Club Mix)	6:22
The Katy Perry Wiki

B.o.B. Remix

In an attempt for the song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100, thus breaking the record Perry tied with "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)", a remix featuring rapper B.o.B was serviced to American pop and rhythmic radio stations on December 15, 2011. It was released for digital download on December 20 at the price of 99¢. The remix added two verses, one at the beginning and another replacing the bridge of the album version of the song.

	LABEL	Capitol, Virgin, EMI
	RELEASED	December 20, 2011
	FORMAT	Digital
	Cover photo by N/A Design by N/A	Made in iTunes, Amazon

#	Track list	LENGTH
1.	"The One That Got Away" (feat. B.o.B)	4:22
The Katy Perry Wiki

Acoustic version

An acoustic version of the song was released to the iTunes Store and via Youtube on January 16, 2012. Although critics again criticized the continued efforts of Perry and label (first one being with the B.o.B. Remix) to propel this song upward on the charts, the acoustic version received mostly favorable reviews, with critics noting that the song sounds very natural as a ballad. This version is produced by Jon Brion. A contest is currently being held by Capitol, allowing fans to record their own acoustic version and have it featured on Perry's Facebook wall thanks to a chord video uploaded Youtube.

	LABEL	Capitol, Virgin, EMI
	RELEASED	January 16, 2012
	FORMAT	Digital
	Cover photo by N/A Design by N/A	Made in iTunes, Amazon

#	Track list	LENGTH
1.	"The One That Got Away" (Acoustic)	4:19
The Katy Perry Wiki

Chart performance

The single debuted at number 87 in Australia on the week ending October 10, 2011. In New Zealand, the song debuted at number 40 and has since peaked at number 12. On the week ending October 16, 2011, the song debuted at number 94 on Billboard Hot 100. A week later it went to number 55. In its third week it jumped to 34. In its fourth week it jumped to 18. In its fifth week it jumped to 15. In its sixth week it entered the top 10 making Teenage Dream one of only seven albums in Billboard's 53-year history to have six singles enter the top 10;the song jumped from #15 to #10 on the Billboard Hot 100. In the sixth week the single jumped from #10 to #9; it has remained on the chart for 8 weeks since its debut on the chart. In the seventh week the single continued stable at #9. In the eighth week the single entered the Billboard Hot 100 top 5, making Teenage Dream one of two albums to have six top 5 singles from one album in the U.S. One January 7, 2011 the song topped the Billboard’s Dance/Club Play Songs chart making Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream the first album to generate seven No. 1s as it jumped from 3-1. On week January 28, 2012, the single remained stable in the same position last week. On February 4, 2011, back to fifth position in the chart.On February 11, 2012, the single dropped to #9, but stable in the top ten. On February 18, 2012, the single dropped to #14, leaving the top ten of the chart. The single has sold more than 1.5 million digital copies in the USA alone.

Live performances

2010
June 14		Teenage Dream Preview
2011
October 16		UK X Factor
November 20		American Music Awards
2012
March 19		BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge

Tours

California Dreams Tour	(2011- 2012)
Prismatic World Tour	(2014- 2015)

Lyrics

Summer after high school, when we first met
We make-out in your Mustang to Radiohead
And on my eighteenth birthday, we got matching tattoos
Used to steal your parents liquor and climb to the roof
Talk about our future like we had a clue
Never planned that one day I'd be losing you

In another life, I would be your girl
We keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away

I was June and you were my Johnny Cash
Never one without the other, we made a pact
Sometimes when I miss you, I put those records on, whoa
Someone said you had your tattoo removed
Saw you downtown, singing the blues
It's time to face the music, I'm no longer your muse

In another life, I would be your girl
We keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away

The one, the one, the one
The one that got away

All this money can't buy me a time machine, no
Can't replace you with a million rings, no
I should'a told you what you meant to me, whoa
Cause now I pay the price

In another life, I would be your girl
We keep all our promises, be us against the world
In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away

The one (the one)
The one (the one)
The one (the one)

In another life, I would make you stay
So I don't have to say you were the one that got away
The one that got away

Music video

Background and release

Filming of the video started on September 30, 2011, and ended on October 2, 2011. Mexican actor Diego Luna plays Perry's boyfriend in the video. Photos from the set surfaced online, showing Perry as an old woman. She can be seen wearing a conservative long-sleeved dress as well as sporting grey hair and prosthetic face wrinkles. The video was directed by Floria Sigismondi, who directed the music video for "E.T". The music video premiered on November 11, 2011, during The Ellen DeGeneres Show.

Special screenings of the 7 minute extended version of the video took place in LA, NYC, SF, Chicago, Miami, Vancouver, Toronto and Montreal during advanced screenings of the film My Week With Marilyn. The Weinstein Company (the company behind the film) decided to mash-up scenes from the film with a remix by Mike Relm of the song. Perry expressed her feelings of the movie saying "Marilyn Monroe is a source of inspiration to millions worldwide, after having the opportunity to see the movie and fall in love all over again with Marilyn Monroe, I’m excited to find a way to share this movie that I loved so much with my fans in a special and unique way." Stephen Bruno of the Weinstein Company replied on Perry's positive reaction to the film saying "We were thrilled to hear that Katy was a fan of the film, and could not be more delighted to partner with her in a way that is relevant and exciting for both her fans and fans of Marilyn Monroe." The remix music video runs for 1:46 minutes and was uploaded by to the TWC's youtube account on November 17, 2011. Promotional TV spots for the film including the song debuted during the 2011 American Music Awards.

On November 4, 2011 a trailer video premiered on Katy Perry's mobile app and VEVO account. The narrator, voiced by Stevie Knicks, speaks about the past and her desire to go back for one day. She says "the past is like a handful of dust. It filters through your fingers, disappearing little by little. I wish, for one day, I could go back. In another life I would do things differently." The video contains scenes of her and her past boyfriend (played by Diego Luna) fighting, intertwined with scenes of them in love. She is later shown as a nostalgic, elderly woman, dressed conservatively and standing by a fence looking into the distance.

On December 15, 2012, a year after the music video was released, the extended version surfaced the web. It shows a more cinematic version of the original and includes never-before-seen footage and shots. In the scene where they woke up in the morning after the party, her boyfriend noticed a painting not in the proper position, so he arranged it. Later, when Perry woke up and noticed it, she rearranged it back into the old improper position. It shows that there has been a problem going on with understanding each other. In the scene where Perry can't paint her own, she's not just a bad painter, she can't paint because she's not really a painter at all. After the fight, Perry almost made him stop from leaving with his jacket dropped by him. When her boyfriend asks it back, she just returned it without saying a word. Then the camera showed her boyfriend's face. That's the last moment that Perry had seen him alive. It also includes extra shots in the beginning and at the end, but excludes young Perry singing (although it still includes the young and old Perry singing in the bedroom, but in different shots).

Synopisis

The video begins with an old Katy Perry at a modernistic home with who is presumably her husband. She makes herself a cup of coffee and thinks about the past when the song begins. As she sits on her bed, it cuts back to a younger Perry with her boyfriend, an artist (played by Diego Luna). They paint portraits of each other, dress up, and dance at a party. He gives her a tattoo with hot ink. These scenes are inter-cut with shots of the older Perry sadly reminiscing, as she sits on her bed at night. In the flashback, the younger Perry and her boyfriend are seen fighting, culminating in her splashing red paint on one of his elaborate paintings after he did the same to one of her paintings. He leaves angrily and drives away. The younger Perry appears to the older Perry in her bedroom: younger Perry sitting next to older Perry, both singing. The younger Perry is also shown in older Perry's closet, crying and singing. The angry boyfriend is seen driving; he opens the mirror above him and finds the veil of the dress Perry wore when partying. As he stares at it, he decides that he wants to make up with her, but he does not notice the large boulders on the road. He tries to avoid running into it and crashes off a cliff, the car going up in flames and dies (possibly at the same time the younger self of the woman dies). The older Perry is seen standing at the cliffside where the car crashed, while Johnny Cash's cover of "You Are My Sunshine" plays in the background. The ghost of the painter appears and holds hands with older Perry, revealing matching wing tattoos on their hands. However, the song in the background is cut when the ghost vanishes, and the older Perry slowly walks away from the cliffside.

Promo images

In promotion, Katy Perry released several images via twitter and facebook (photo album entitled The One That Got Away 11.11.11) taken from the video along with a question on each one that relates to the overall theme of the music video.

"Could you still sketch every line of their face?"

"Do you remember what it was like to hold your hand in theirs?"

"Do you ever get a strange feeling of Déjà Vu?"

"Do you ever wonder if you’re staring at the same sunset as them?"

"Would you give anything to have them sitting next to you again?"

"Do you still laugh at their jokes?"

"What do you miss?"

"Is there a song that reminds you of them every time you hear it?"

"Do you ever wish they’ll magically re-appear?"

"Rejoice! “The One That Got Away” premieres today!"

Critical reception

Jillian Mapes of Billboard commented that the video was "beautifully-shot" and praised the interesting plot. A writer of Rolling Stone wrote: "It's a cute clip for a sweet song, but the heavy-handed aging makeup is hard to get over." Entertainment Weekly's Erin Strecker compared the video with Titanic (1997) and Rihanna's video for "We Found Love". Strecker also noted that the video was more "tragic" than he was expecting from Perry. Jessica Misener of The Huffington Post gave a positive review towards the outfits in the video. Jocelyn Vena of MTV News said: "Katy Perry's moody, contemplative clip for 'The One That Got Away' perfectly encapsulates both the joy of falling in love and the heartbreak of letting go. It travels through time and space and recalls the story of Perry's one that got away." Consequence of Sound's Chris Coplan called the video a "little more somber" than the videos Perry made for "E.T." and "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)". Laura Schreffler of Daily Mail noted that Perry is "showing a side of herself that she hasn't shown before" with the vulnerability and the "shocking, heartbreaking twist[s]."

The Sims 3 Version

On January 17, 2012, Electronic Arts released an official music video for "The One That Got Away" featuring Katy as a sim. The storyline shows Katy and her love interest falling in love and getting married. One day, Katy's love interest collapses in the bathroom floor, he is taken to the hospital and then dies. Katy is then seen mourning at his funeral. Suddenly, Katy is transported "to another life" were her love interest is still alive and well; they reunite and kiss.

References

• ASCAP