You know that feeling when the first four bars of a song hit and you're instantly transported back to 1995? That crisp, mid-tempo groove. The effortless vocal runs. When Monica dropped One of Them Days (properly titled "Don't Take It Personal (Just One of Dem Days)"), it wasn't just a hit; it became a biological mood for anyone who has ever needed exactly five minutes of peace.
People still argue about who actually wrote the track. Some folks swear Monica wrote it because it feels so personal. Others think it was a Dallas Austin solo mission. The truth is a bit more crowded. It took a village of R&B heavyweights to craft that specific "get out of my face" energy.
The Architect Behind the Boards
Dallas Austin is the name most people associate with the track. Rightfully so. He was the wunderkind of the Atlanta music scene in the early 90s, fresh off massive success with TLC and Boyz II Men. But Dallas wasn't just sitting in a room by himself. He was the captain of a very specific ship.
The credits for who wrote One of Them Days actually list a surprising roster: Dallas Austin, Derrick Simmons, and James Pankow.
Wait. James Pankow?
If that name sounds familiar to classic rock fans, it should. Pankow is the trombone player and a founding member of the band Chicago. This is where the song gets its DNA. The track heavily samples "Celebration" by LL Cool J, but that LL track itself sampled Chicago’s 1970 hit "Back to the Island." Because of the way copyright law and sampling work, the original songwriters of the sampled track get a writing credit on the new one. So, technically, a guy from a 70s rock band is one of the writers of your favorite 90s R&B "leave me alone" anthem.
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It wasn't just about the beat
Derrick Simmons played a massive role too. While Dallas was the visionary for the "Rowdy" sound—that gritty, street-level R&B that defined Rowdy Records—Simmons was the glue. He worked closely with Dallas on the arrangement. They weren't just making a song for a teenager; they were creating a persona.
Monica was only 13 when she recorded this.
Think about that for a second. A 13-year-old girl delivering lines about needing space and dealing with a "funky attitude" with enough conviction to make grown women nod their heads in agreement. That’s the magic of the writing team. They managed to write "up" to her maturity level without making her sound like she was trying too hard to be an adult. It felt authentic. It felt like she actually had one of them days.
The "Real" Authors of the Vibe
While the legal credits tell one story, the cultural credit goes to the synergy between Dallas Austin and Monica herself. Dallas has often spoken about how he wanted to capture the "tomboy" essence of Monica. She wasn't the polished, sugary-sweet pop star that labels were usually churning out at the time. She was cool. She was slightly detached. She was from Atlanta.
The Rowdy Records Philosophy
The writing process at Rowdy Records wasn't a corporate boardroom affair. It was messy. It was creative. Dallas Austin basically lived in the studio. He used a mix of old-school MPC sampling and live instrumentation to give the song that "swing."
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- The Bassline: It’s thick. It’s the kind of bass that rattles a trunk but still feels melodic.
- The Lyrics: "Don't take it personal / If I'm blunt and I'm direct with you." That isn't just a lyric; it's a mission statement for a generation of young women who were tired of being told to smile more.
- The Samples: Using the LL Cool J and Chicago elements wasn't just a shortcut. It was a bridge between the Golden Era of Hip Hop and the new "Hip Hop Soul" movement.
Honestly, the song wouldn't have worked if anyone else sang it. You could have given those exact lyrics to Brandy or Aaliyah—both incredible artists—and it would have been a different song entirely. Monica’s husky, soulful tone gave the writing weight. She made the "Dem Days" concept feel like a universal truth.
Why the Credits Matter Today
In the age of TikTok and viral sounds, we often lose track of the craftsmen. We see the face of the artist and assume the song just manifested out of thin air. But when you look at who wrote One of Them Days, you see a snapshot of the music industry in transition.
You see the intersection of 70s rock, 80s hip hop, and 90s R&B.
It’s a masterclass in collaboration. Derrick Simmons and Dallas Austin knew how to pull from the past to define the future. They understood that a great R&B song needs a hook, but a legendary R&B song needs a feeling.
Common Misconceptions
- "Monica wrote it herself." Nope. While she definitely influenced the "attitude" of the track through her performance and input, the pen belonged to the production team.
- "It’s a direct cover." Not even close. It uses elements of other songs, but the melody and the core "One of Them Days" hook are original creations of the 90s team.
- "It was a one-hit wonder." Please. This song kicked off a career that has spanned three decades.
The song hit number one on the Billboard R&B chart and stayed there for weeks. It also peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. For a debut single by a 13-year-old, that’s almost unheard of. The writing team knew exactly what they were doing. They were building a brand, not just a track.
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How to Apply This Vibe to Your Own Life
If you’re having "one of them days" right now, there’s actually some science behind why this specific song helps. The tempo is roughly 90 beats per minute. This is a "walking pace" tempo that is naturally soothing to the human nervous system. It’s not too fast to be anxious, and not too slow to be depressing. It’s the "neutral" zone.
Actionable Steps for Your Next "One of Them Days":
- Identify the Sample: Next time you listen, try to hear the Chicago "Back to the Island" horn section buried in the mix. It changes how you hear the song.
- Set the Boundary: Use the song’s philosophy. "Don't take it personal" is a polite way of saying "I need a minute." It’s okay to communicate that you’re at capacity.
- Study the Craft: If you're a songwriter or producer, look at the credits of your favorite 90s tracks. You’ll find that the best songs usually have this weird mix of young energy (Austin) and seasoned experience (Pankow/Chicago).
The legacy of who wrote One of Them Days isn't just about a list of names on a vinyl sleeve. It’s about the fact that thirty years later, we still know exactly what she means when she says she’s "not in the mood."
Music is the only time machine we have that actually works. And in 1995, Dallas Austin and his team built a machine that hasn't aged a day. If you want to dive deeper into the technical side, look up the engineering work of Derrick Simmons on the rest of the Miss Thang album. The guy was a wizard with vocal layering, which is why Monica sounds like a choir of one on most of those tracks.
Next Steps for R&B Fans:
- Check out the original Chicago track "Back to the Island" to see how a 70s rock song became an R&B staple.
- Listen to the LL Cool J track "Celebration" to hear the middle-man in this sampling evolution.
- Revisit the full Miss Thang album. Most people stop at the singles, but the B-sides are where the writing team really experimented with Monica’s range and that specific Atlanta sound.
Understand that a great song is rarely the work of one person. It’s a puzzle. And in this case, the pieces were Dallas Austin’s beats, Monica’s voice, and a unexpected horn riff from 1970. That’s how you make a classic. That’s how you define an entire mood for decades to come.
No more questions needed—just put the song on and tell everyone else to give you some space. You’ve earned it.