Once Upon A Time
DAN HILL Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Heard you move far out of town
Never thought I'd see you around
Do we shake hands or do we kiss?
Must have rehearsed a thousand times
What I'd say if you and I
Saw each other, just like this
It's like a dream coming off the track
All the passion rushes back
When you look at me like that

But that was once upon a time
When dreams were young like you and I
And nothing was impossible
Don't want to get emotional tonight
But when I look into your eyes I lose track
If we could just go back to once upon a time

I was writing songs to make ends meat
You were all the inspiration I need
You showed me what dreams are all about
And if love was like a flame
I swear the fire was burning in our vein
Someone blew the candle out
Don't wanna know how long it's been
Since my fingers touched your skin
Baby don't let me fall again

But that was once upon a time
When dreams were young like you and I
And nothing was impossible
Don't want to get emotional tonight
But when I look into your eyes I lose track
If we could just go back to once upon a time

It's like a dream coming off the tracks,
All those memories rushed back

But that was once upon a time
When dreams were young like you and I
And nothing was impossible
Don't want to get emotional tonight
But when I look into your eyes I lose track
If we could just go back to once upon a time
Don't wanna look into eyes, no
You take me back to once upon a time

Take me back.
Heard you move far out of town




Never thought I'd see you around
Do we shake hands or do we kiss?

Overall Meaning

The song "Once Upon a Time" by Dan Hill features the singer coming face to face with a past love after many years, wondering if they should shake hands or kiss. As they reminisce about their past together, the singer reflects on how they used to have big dreams and that anything was possible. He remembers how his ex-love inspired him to write songs and showed him what it meant to dream big, but also acknowledges that their flame eventually died out. Despite this, the singer longs to go back to the time when they were young and in love, wishing to relive that passion once again.


The lyrics convey a deep sense of longing for a past love and a desire to relive a time when dreams were still alive and possibilities were endless. The chorus, with its repetition of the phrase "once upon a time," emphasizes a sense of nostalgia and longing for a simpler, happier time. The line "if we could just go back to once upon a time" speaks to the universal human desire to turn back time and correct past mistakes, especially when it comes to relationships.


One interesting fact about the song "Once Upon a Time" is that it was originally recorded by every '80s girl's favorite crooner Barry Manilow. Dan Hill, who co-wrote the song with lyricist Peter Cox, recorded the song himself for his 1986 album "Dan Hill's Greatest Hits...and More." Another interesting fact is that Hill wrote the song shortly after his divorce and drew inspiration from his own life and experiences. Despite being a relatively lesser-known song in Hill's discography, "Once Upon a Time" continues to resonate with listeners as a heartfelt ode to lost love and the bittersweet feelings that come with it.


Chords (as transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):
Verse: Am, G, F, G, Am
Chorus: C, G, Am, F, G


Line by Line Meaning

Heard you move far out of town
I found out that you moved away and I never expected to see you again.


Never thought I'd see you around
I never imagined that our paths would cross again.


Do we shake hands or do we kiss?
I'm not sure how to greet you now that we're face to face again. Should we shake hands or share a kiss?


Must have rehearsed a thousand times What I'd say if you and I Saw each other, just like this
I've imagined this moment countless times and thought about what I would say if we ever met again.


It's like a dream coming off the track All the passion rushes back When you look at me like that
Seeing you again brings back intense feelings and emotions that I thought were long gone.


But that was once upon a time When dreams were young like you and I And nothing was impossible Don't want to get emotional tonight But when I look into your eyes I lose track If we could just go back to once upon a time
We shared a beautiful, carefree past where anything felt possible. Seeing you again brings back a flood of emotions and memories that I can't help but get lost in. I wish we could relive that time together.


I was writing songs to make ends meat You were all the inspiration I need You showed me what dreams are all about
When we were together, you inspired me to write songs and pursue my passions. You were all the motivation I needed to chase my dreams.


And if love was like a flame I swear the fire was burning in our vein Someone blew the candle out
Our love burned bright and intense, but something happened to extinguish it. I can't help but wonder what went wrong.


Don't wanna know how long it's been Since my fingers touched your skin Baby don't let me fall again
It's been too long since we last touched and I'm afraid of falling back into old habits and feelings. Please don't let me get hurt again.


Take me back. Heard you move far out of town Never thought I'd see you around
I wish we could go back to our past, where things were simpler and we were together. It's surreal to see you again after all this time.




Writer(s): KEITH STEGALL, DAN HILL

Contributed by Ethan N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Adam Kaczanowski

BEAUTIFUL xoxoxoxox love singing this song......

Gemma Guarin

Oiiiiiiiuiiiuiui

Gemma Guarin

@Edrian paul madara uii

KeepLowAndStayLow

<3

POLLY LIU

VERY ROMANTIC & BREATH TAKING 💘 SONG..WHEN WILL I ABLE TO SEE MY DARLING K.T.B.?..IS A MYSTERY TO ME, .I DON'T HAVE THE AMSWER ..ONLY GOD KNOWS! I 💘 💘 💘 U HONEY..WISHING YOU VERY HAPPY & HEALTHY EVERYDAY IN H.K..P.S. EAT GOOD & SLEEP WELL..

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