Born in Providence, RI, Jeffrey Osborne was the youngest of 12 children and was constantly bombarded with music as he was growing up. He had five brothers and six sisters, some of whom went on to have music careers. His father, Clarence "Legs" Osborne, was a popular trumpeter who played with Lionel Hampton, Count Basie, and Duke Ellington, and died when Jeffrey was only 13. His mother, Wanita, is ancestored by a Pequot Indian sachem. His oldest brother, Clay Osborne, is a singer and pianist, and Billy, another brother, is a songwriter and producer in Los Angeles. But Osborne's father had the greatest influence on his musical career; Clarence "Legs" Osborne turned down many top band offers during his career to be with his family. It was only after receiving his mother's encouragement that Jeffrey left for Los Angeles to play with L.T.D. At the age of 15, he sat in with the O'Jays when the drummer was too tired to play, and went on to play with them for two weeks. It was at a Providence nightclub that fate brought him together with the band Love Men Ltd. in 1969.
Osborne's solo career has brought him five gold and platinum albums, including Stay With Me Tonight, Aymuk, and Only Human. He also recorded an album of duets with popular singer James Ingram, and scored an international hit with "On the Wings of Love" in 1982. Osborne's touring and recording continue to keep him busy much of the time, but he also devotes some of his time to charity work.
All At Once
Jeffrey Osborne Lyrics
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Ooh, baby
Oh, baby
All at once
I finally took a moment and I'm realizing that
You're not coming back
And it finally hit me all at once
All at once
I started counting teardrops and at least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely see
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows all at once
All at once
I looked around and found
That you were with another love in someone else's arms
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
All at once
The smile that used to greet me
Brightened someone else's day, it took your smile away
And left me with just memories all at once
Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely see
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding upon to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows all at once
Ooh, ooh, girl
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding upon some memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows all at once
I'm holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more all at once
The lyrics of Jeffrey Osborne's song "All at Once" depict a narrator coming to terms with the sudden realization that his lover is not coming back, and feeling the weight of his grief all at once. The song begins with the singer acknowledging this realization: "All at once, I finally took a moment and I'm realizing that you're not coming back." He goes on to describe the intensity of his emotions, including counting a million teardrops and feeling his dreams shattered all at once. Osborne's emotive delivery of the lyrics conveys the depth of the singer's pain, particularly in the repeated refrain "And it hurts me more than you know / So much more than it shows all at once."
The song's second verse reveals that the singer's lover has found another love, and that the image of them together has led to an even greater sense of loss for the singer. He notes that he is "holding on to memories" and wishes that his lover would come back to him. Through these lyrics, Osborne captures the complex emotions of grief and heartbreak, as well as the experience of having to face life alone after losing someone who was so central to one's world. Overall, "All at Once" is a powerful evocation of the moment when the weight of grief becomes truly felt and impossible to ignore.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh, no
Expressing sudden realization of a negative circumstance.
Ooh, baby
Expressing emotional distress and longing for comfort.
Oh, baby
Addressing the object of emotional distress with tenderness.
All at once
Suddenly and completely.
I finally took a moment and I'm realizing that
You're not coming back
And it finally hit me all at once
After a period of denial, the realization that the object of affection has left hits suddenly and completely.
I started counting teardrops and at least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
The enormity of the loss causes intense sadness and tears, leading to the realization that all hopes and dreams are destroyed.
Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone
The object of affection is the only one loved, and though the person must face life alone, forgetting them is impossible.
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
Feeling adrift and alone, the only thing that matters is the return of the object of affection.
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows all at once
The pain of holding on to memories is greater than apparent, and more than the person can handle all at once.
I looked around and found
That you were with another love in someone else's arms
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
Seeing the object of affection with someone else causes the final destruction of all hopes and dreams.
The smile that used to greet me
Brightened someone else's day, it took your smile away
And left me with just memories all at once
The smile that once brought happiness now belongs to someone else, leaving only painful memories behind.
Ooh, ooh, girl
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding upon some memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows all at once
Addressing the object of affection with affectionate pet name, feeling lost and alone while memories cause intense pain, more than apparent or expressible at once.
I'm holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more all at once
Continuously holding on to memories while experiencing intense pain, more than can be expressed at once.
Contributed by Olivia W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.