Shortly before his father's death in a 1973 plane crash, Croce's family moved west to San Diego, California, where his mother, Ingrid, raised him.
At the age of four, Croce was completely blinded, as the result of a brain tumor. Between the ages of four and ten, Croce gradually regained vision in his left eye. It was during this difficult time in Croce's life that he began to play the piano. "I learned to play music by listening and playing along to the radio and to records..." Croce says, "At some point I was given the music of Ray Charles and Stevie Wonder as inspiration, which it was, and has been ever since."
Croce's first paying gig was at the age of 12, when he was paid $20 to perform at a Bat-Mitzvah party. By the age of 16, Croce was performing regularly at San Diego nightclubs, as a sideman and band leader. Croce reflects, "I was into every kind of music... you might say I was unfocused, but I consider an eclectic taste in music to be the foundation of versatility." Croce's house burned down when he was age 15.
Ron Goldstein and Peter Bauman of Private Music signed Croce to his first record deal at age 19. He recorded two CDs for Private Music: his self-titled debut, "A.J. Croce," produced by T-Bone Burnett and John Simon, and "That's Me In The Bar," produced by Jim Keltner, and featuring artists such as Ry Cooder, David Hidalgo, and Keltner himself.
Croce's third release, "Fit To Serve," was recorded in Memphis, and produced by Jim Gaines, who had previously produced Van Morrison, Santana, and The Steve Miller Band. Croce then took a musical turn with the release of his album Transit. He explained, "I had been playing blues-based music for a long time, and I was ready to try something new." Transit was compared by critics to the work of John Lennon, Elvis Costello, Bob Dylan, and Van Morrison. Glen Starkey of New Times labeled Croce "a song crafter of the first order."
A fifth CD, titled "Adrian James Croce" was released in the summer of 2004, and a sixth CD, Cantos, in 2006.
Croce has performed as an opening act for artists such as Carlos Santana, Rod Stewart, Aretha Franklin, Willie Nelson, Lyle Lovett, James Brown, Ben Harper, Dave Matthews, Earth, Wind and Fire and Ray Charles. He has also performed on such national venues as The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Late Show with David Letterman, Late Night with Conan O'Brien, The Today Show, Good Morning America, and Austin City Limits.
Once Again
A.J. Croce Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Won′t you take me back
I can't live without you by my side
If there′s something that I lack
I can change what ever you decide
Once again I find that I can't sleep
Won′t you please slow down I′m a step behind
You were out of sight but not out of mind
Have I stepped across an invisible line
If you don't want to speak then just give me a sign
Remember how you treated me back when
Won′t you do it once again
Like the train that jumped the rail
Or the ship that's lost at sea
I was so afraid to fail
Not to bring you back to me
It won′t take long to know
If you should go or stay
Time is moving slow
Minutes taking hours and hours taking days
Once again, A.J. Croce is singing about his longing for someone he can't be without. He begs for another chance by claiming that he would change anything that his love interest dislikes about him. He is feeling the consequences of his actions, as he can't sleep and is struggling to cope without the other person by his side, yet again. He asks for patience to catch up to the other person since he feels like he has fallen behind. He hopes for a sign from the person as to how they want things to go forward. Croce reminds the other person of how well they treated him before and asks for them to maybe do it "once again," as the song is ironically titled.
Croce uses imagery such as "the train that jumped the rail" and "the ship that's lost at sea," to describe his fear of failure and losing the person he loves. He is anxiously waiting for a decision to be made, and every moment seems to be dragging.
This song talks about the feeling of regret and hoping for a chance to make things right. He reflects on the past and wishes to turn back time. The lyrics suggest that he is willing to do anything to make it work with the other person. The song leaves an open ending, not expressing any outcomes of the situation.
Line by Line Meaning
Won't you take me back
Asking for forgiveness and another chance to be with a significant other.
I can't live without you by my side
Conveying a deep emotional dependence on the other person for their well-being and happiness.
If there's something that I lack
Acknowledging that the other person felt dissatisfied or unhappy in the past, and being willing to make adjustments in order to fix the relationship.
I can change what ever you decide
Being open to making changes or compromises based on the other person's desires and preferences.
Once again I find that I can't sleep
Experiencing insomnia due to the stress and anxiety of the current relationship situation.
Once again I want what I can't keep
Desiring something that may not be attainable or sustainable in the long term, despite the emotional attachment to it.
Won't you please slow down I'm a step behind
Feeling overwhelmed or uncertain about the pace of the relationship, and asking for more time to catch up.
You were out of sight but not out of mind
Continuing to think about and miss the other person even when physically separated.
Have I stepped across an invisible line
Questioning whether certain actions or behaviors have caused irreparable damage to the relationship.
If you don't want to speak then just give me a sign
Sensing a lack of communication from the other person and hoping for some kind of indication or signal to understand their feelings.
Remember how you treated me back when
Bringing up past memories or experiences in order to illustrate the positive aspects of the relationship and why it's worth salvaging.
Won't you do it once again
Asking the other person to replicate or continue the positive experiences and behaviors from the past.
Like the train that jumped the rail
Using a metaphor to describe feeling out of control, directionless, or unpredictable in regards to the relationship.
Or the ship that's lost at sea
Using another metaphor to convey a sense of being adrift, without direction or guidance.
I was so afraid to fail
Admitting to feeling scared of disappointing or losing the other person, which may have resulted in behaviors that were detrimental to the relationship.
Not to bring you back to me
Clarifying that the desire to not fail was not merely out of selfishness, but to also ensure the happiness and well-being of the other person.
It won't take long to know
Expressing confidence in being able to determine the fate of the relationship quickly/recently.
If you should go or stay
Exploring the possibility of separation or reconciliation based on the other person's desires/feelings.
Time is moving slow
Feeling that the passage of time is dragging on, possibly due to the uncertainty surrounding the relationship.
Minutes taking hours and hours taking days
Emphasizing the feeling of time slowing down, perhaps due to a lack of direction or clarity in the relationship.
Writer(s): Adrian James Croce, Steve Poltz
Contributed by Sophie C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@jacoleroux4302
She took me back!
@deapthynka1
What a beautiful song.
@marybethdotterman7275
Both great singers and songwriters.
@kellimucci1414
love both these guys!