One By One
Ensemble - The Lion King Lyrics

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Child you teller of the tale
That luminary sail
That sails the ocean
Though your soul is open
Your eyes are hopeful
And silent as the station of a soldier
All these songs I know by heart are true
The tunes you play will resonate

Just like they used to do
And then the rhythm rises up
Reminds me of those endless days of dreaming
Songs of ages carry on then dissipate
But surely leave their meaning
All these songs I know by heart are true
The tunes you play will resonate
Just like they used to do
And I sing
One by one
We're gonna rise up
One by one
One by one
One by one
Like the petals falling down
We congregate around this eloquent passage
One by one we return
Spring's unending rebirth
Things we cannot see become the message
All these songs I know by heart are true
The tunes you play will resonate
Just like they used to do
And I sing
One by one
One by one
One by one
One by one
We're gonna rise up
One by one
Sing it
One by one
We're gonna rise up
One by one
One by one
One by one
One by one

One by one
One by one

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "One By One" from the musical "The Lion King" is a celebration of life itself, and the eternal message that is carried through generations through the art of storytelling and music. The opening lines of the song refer to the teller of the tale, who has the power to illuminate the mysteries of the world through their storytelling abilities that resonate with the soul. The notion that the eyes could be silent yet hopeful, as it is compared to the station of a soldier, adds to the mystique of the storytelling.

The lyrics go on to say that these songs are not only true but are embedded deeply in our hearts, and they resonate with us to this day just as they did before. The rhythm that rises up from these songs reminds the listener of the endless days of dreaming, where the songs of days gone by carry on but eventually dissipate, yet they still leave their meaning. One by one, the people rise up like petals falling down, congregating around the eloquent passage of this eternal message, and spring's unending rebirth. These are things that we cannot see, yet they become the message that matters.

Line by Line Meaning

Child you teller of the tale
Addressing the person who tells the story

That luminary sail
Referring to a shining sail

That sails the ocean
Travelling across the sea

Though your soul is open
Despite being vulnerable

Your eyes are hopeful
Looking for a positive outcome

And silent as the station of a soldier
Quiet and still like a military post

All these songs I know by heart are true
The singer believes in these songs

The tunes you play will resonate
The music will have an impact

Just like they used to do
Similar to the way it was before

And then the rhythm rises up
The beat becomes stronger and more intense

Reminds me of those endless days of dreaming
Brings back memories of past hopes and aspirations