Once in a Lifetime
´«ÉùÍ·(Talking Heads) Lyrics
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And you may find yourself in another part of the world
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself
Well...How did I get here?
Letting the days go by
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
After the money's gone
Once in a lifetime
Water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that large automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful house
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful wife
Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
After the money's gone
Once in a lifetime
Water flowing underground
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Water dissolving...and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean
Under the water, carry the water at the bottom of the ocean
Remove the water at the bottom of the ocean
Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
Into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones
There is water underground
Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
After the money's gone
Once in a lifetime
Water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And you may ask yourself
Where does that highway go to?
And you may ask yourself
Am I right?...Am I wrong?
And you may say to yourself yourself
My God!...What have I done?!
Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
Into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones
There is water underground
Letting the days go by
Let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by
Water flowing underground
Into the blue again
After the money's gone
Once in a lifetime
Water flowing underground
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Look where my hand was
Time isn't holding us
Time isn't after us
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Same as it ever was...
Yeah, the twister comes
Here comes the twister
Same as it ever was...
The song "Once In A Lifetime" by Talking Heads is a reflection on the ever-changing and unpredictable nature of life. The lyrics describe a person who finds themselves in different situations, from living in a run-down house to being behind the wheel of a large automobile, wondering how they got there. The repeated refrain of "letting the days go by, water flowing underground" highlights the idea that time moves on and life keeps changing.
The chorus of the song is about the impermanence of material possessions and the transient nature of life. The lyrics speak to our desire to accumulate things, only to realize that they are not as important as we once thought. The lines "after the money's gone, water flowing underground" suggest that despite our best efforts, time and nature will always prevail.
The bridge of the song shifts the focus to water, using it as a metaphor for the ebb and flow of life. The lines "water dissolving, and water removing, there is water at the bottom of the ocean" highlight the idea that nothing is permanent and everything is constantly changing.
Overall, "Once In A Lifetime" is a thought-provoking meditation on the unpredictability of life and the futility of trying to control it.
Line by Line Meaning
And you may find yourself living in a shotgun shack
You might end up living in a small and cramped housing
And you may find yourself in another part of the world
You might find yourself in a new or unfamiliar place
And you may find yourself behind the wheel of a large automobile
You might end up owning and driving a fancy car
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful wife
You might end up living in a beautiful home with a loving partner
And you may ask yourself Well...How did I get here?
You might question how you ended up in this particular life situation
Letting the days go by Let the water hold me down
Letting time pass by and allowing events to unfold as they may
Water flowing underground Into the blue again After the money's gone Once in a lifetime Water flowing underground
Life is a cycle, and once something is over, it cannot be repeated
And you may ask yourself How do I work this?
You might question how to navigate a challenging situation
And you may ask yourself Where is that large automobile?
You might question where a significant object or person in your life has gone
And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful house
You might realize that you are not satisfied with your current living conditions
And you may tell yourself This is not my beautiful wife
You might realize that you are not content with your current partner or relationship status
Water dissolving...and water removing There is water at the bottom of the ocean Under the water, carry the water at the bottom of the ocean Remove the water at the bottom of the ocean
Water is a constant and essential element of life
Into the silent water Under the rocks and stones There is water underground
Water has a presence everywhere, even in the most unexpected places
And you may ask yourself What is that beautiful house? Where does that highway go to? Am I right?...Am I wrong? And you may say to yourself yourself My God!...What have I done?!
You might question the paths you have taken in life and reflect on any regrets or missed opportunities
Same as it ever was... Look where my hand was Time isn't holding us Time isn't after us
Life may seem to stay the same, but time is constantly moving forward, and the past cannot be changed.
Yeah, the twister comes Here comes the twister
Unexpected events can occur and disrupt the course of life.
Contributed by Maria B. Suggest a correction in the comments below.