Once Upon A Time
E. Righello Lyrics
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That weltered in boundless happiness and lust for life
It seemed like nothing could ever drag him down
Or take this unflappable smile out of his face
I once was that man but as times changed so did I
Like the withering leaves when summer turns to autumn
It happened when my frail heart stumbled over your supposed lovely soul
And I felt as if I finally found someone
So I opened up and took the boat to your land
Ignoring the pitch-dark clouds hanging low in your mountains
When I moored my skiff at your pier
I told you that I could not swim and that I was afraid of drowning
Still you did not fix the holes and as I stepped out of my boat
Trying to get into your arms that was where I started falling
Where I started falling
Let the show begin
The lyrics of E. Righello's song "Once Upon a Time" tell a story of a man who was once full of happiness and lust for life but fell in love with the wrong person. The singer compares his transition to the turning of leaves from summer to autumn, suggesting that his changing attitude was a natural progression. He fell deeply in love with someone he believed would understand him without having to say a word, someone who was supposed to have a lovely soul. However, upon arriving at their destination, he noticed the warning signs but chose to ignore them out of love.
The man admits to being afraid of drowning, yet his lover does not fix the holes in his boat despite knowing this fact. The singer still disembarks from his boat to be with his lover, and as he attempts to head towards their waiting arms, he begins to fall. The lyrics suggest that this love story can go in two different ways: either the lover catches him before he falls too far, or the fall represents the end of the relationship. The song, therefore, explores the idea of the hidden dangers of love and the risk of falling for someone who can end up hurting you.
Line by Line Meaning
Once upon a time there was a man
There was a man who once existed
That weltered in boundless happiness and lust for life
He was deeply immersed in happiness and a desire to live life to its fullest
It seemed like nothing could ever drag him down
There was nothing that could bring him down or make him feel low
Or take this unflappable smile out of his face
Even his smile was constant and unchangeable
I once was that man but as times changed so did I
I used to be that same man, but as time passed, I changed too
Like the withering leaves when summer turns to autumn
Just as leaves wither and fall off during the transition from summer to autumn
It happened when my frail heart stumbled over your supposed lovely soul
It all started with my fragile heart being attracted to what I thought was your beautiful soul
And I felt as if I finally found someone
I finally felt like I found that someone special
Who would understand me without even talking
I thought you could understand me even without any words being spoken
So I opened up and took the boat to your land
I let my guard down and came to where you were
Ignoring the pitch-dark clouds hanging low in your mountains
I disregarded the foreboding signs that were present in your surroundings
When I moored my skiff at your pier
When I docked my small boat at your pier
I told you that I could not swim and that I was afraid of drowning
I confided in you that I couldn't swim and that I had a fear of drowning
Still you did not fix the holes and as I stepped out of my boat
You didn't fix the holes in your boat and as I got out of mine
Trying to get into your arms that was where I started falling
That's when I began to fall for you
Where I started falling
That's where everything started to change
Let the show begin
Now the story begins to unfold
Lyrics © DistroKid
Written by: Leo Weber
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind