All the Time
Barry Manilow Lyrics


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All the time I thought
There's only me
Crazy in a way
That no one else could be
I would have given everything I own
If someone would have said "you're not alone"

All the time I thought that I was wrong
Wanting to believe but needing to belong
If I'd've just believed in all I had
If someone would have said "you're not so bad"

All the time, all the wasted time
All the years waiting for a sign
To think I had it all
All the time

All the time I thought
There's only me
Crazy in a way
That no one else could be
I can't believe that you were somewhere, too
Thinking all the time there's only you

All the time, all the wasted time
All the years waiting for a sign




To think I had it all
All the time

Overall Meaning

In "All The Time," Barry Manilow sings about the feeling of isolation and loneliness, and how he once thought that he was the only one feeling that way. At the start of the song, he describes himself as "crazy in a way that no one else could be," suggesting that he felt like he had some sort of mental illness or abnormality. He admits that he would have given everything he owned just to hear someone tell him that he wasn't alone. Therefore, it is evident that Barry Manilow created this song to remind his listeners that they are not alone in their struggles.


The second verse shifts the perspective of the song, as Barry Manilow begins to reflect on how his life would have been different if he had just believed in himself more. He suggests that he needed to belong somewhere, and that he wanted to believe that he was capable of great things. He acknowledges that he had it all, but he didn't realize it at the time. This verse is a reminder to his audience that our perception of ourselves is often flawed and that we should work to build self-confidence and believe in ourselves.


The final verse brings the song to a hopeful conclusion, as Manilow realizes that he was not the only one feeling alone all the time. He sings, "I can't believe that you were somewhere, too, thinking all the time there's only you." This line is significant in that it speaks to the universality of the human experience, that no matter what one is going through, there is always someone else who can relate. The song's repetition of the phrase, "all the time," creates a sense of continuity throughout the song, emphasizing the importance of the message.


Line by Line Meaning

All the time I thought
Throughout my life, I believed


There's only me
That I was the only person in the world


Crazy in a way
I felt irrational thoughts and emotions


That no one else could be
Which I thought no one else could understand


I would have given everything I own
I would have sacrificed everything I had


If someone would have said "you're not alone"
If only someone had reassured me that I was not the only one feeling this way


Wanting to believe but needing to belong
I desired to have faith but also craved acceptance within a group


If I'd've just believed in all I had
If only I had believed in myself and my capabilities


If someone would have said "you're not so bad"
If only someone had told me that I was not as worthless as I thought


All the time, all the wasted time
Throughout my life, I spent so much time unnecessarily


All the years waiting for a sign
For many years, I waited for a sign to guide me


To think I had it all
Only to realize that everything I had been looking for was within me


I can't believe that you were somewhere, too
It's hard to fathom that there were other people experiencing similar emotions


Thinking all the time there's only you
Believing all along that you were the only one who felt the way you did




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BARRY MANILOW, MARTIN PANZER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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