Kealiʻi (pronounced Kay-ah-LEE-ee) Reichel was born and raised on the island of Maui. Reichel grew up in the town of Lahaina where he attended Lahainaluna High School, however he spent weekends and summers with his maternal grandmother in the plantation town of Pāʻia. At the age of 24, Reichel was convicted of theft, and was sentenced to community service, which involved a study of Hawaiian culture. This marked a turning point in his life, as he decided to devote the rest of his life to the study and promotion of Hawaiian culture.
Reichel was one of the founding directors for Punana Leo O Maui, a Hawaiian language immersion pre-school. He has taught Hawaiian culture and language at the University of Hawaiʻi's, Maui Community College, and he was the Cultural Resource Specialist and curator at the Bailey House Museum in Wailuku.
For The First Time
Keali'i Reichel Lyrics
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I've been lookin' at you forever
But I never saw you before
Are these your hands holdin' mine
Now I wonder how I could of been so blind
For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand why love is
Love is for the first time
Can this be real, can this be true
Am I the person I was this morning
And are you the same you
It's all so strange how can it be
All along this love was right in front of me
For the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin' back at me
Now I understand why love is
Love is for the first time
Such a long time ago
I had given up on findin' this emotion ever again
But you live with me now
Yes I've found you some how
And I'VE never been so sure
And for the first time I am looking in your eyes
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
Can't believe how much I see
When you're lookin back at me
Now I understand why love is
Love is for the first time
The song "For The First Time" by Keali'i Reichel is a love song that talks about a person who has been looking at someone for a long time but only now has realized their beauty and worth. The opening lines of the song "Are those your eyes, is that your smile, I've been lookin' at you forever, but I never saw you before", talk about the surprise and shock of the person realizing the depth of the love they have for the other person. This person has hands that have been holding theirs, but they didn't realize it until now.
The song talks about the beauty of first love and the intense emotions that come with it. The singer wonders how they could have been so blind and not seen the love in front of them all along. The chorus of the song talks about looking into each other's eyes and discovering the true person they are. The singer cannot believe how much they see when the other person is looking back at them, and they finally understand why love is something special when it happens for the first time.
The verses of the song then transition to how the singer had given up on finding this kind of emotion, but now they have found it in the person they are looking at, who now lives with them. The song ends with the beautiful lines "And I’ve never been so sure, and for the first time I am looking in your eyes, for the first time I’m seeing who you are. Can’t believe how much I see when you're looking back at me. Now I understand why love is, love is for the first time."
Overall, the song talks about discovering the depth and beauty of first love and realizing the importance of the person right in front of us. It is a beautiful, emotional portrayal of the strong feelings that come with that kind of love.
Line by Line Meaning
Are those your eyes, is that your smile
I've never really noticed your features before, but now I can't stop staring at you.
I've been lookin' at you forever
I've known you for a long time, but I've never really seen you.
But I never saw you before
I didn't realize how amazing you were until just now.
Are these your hands holdin' mine
I'm amazed that I'm holding your hand right now.
Now I wonder how I could of been so blind
I can't believe I didn't see how wonderful you are until now.
For the first time I am looking in your eyes
I've finally opened my eyes and can see the beauty in your eyes.
For the first time I'm seein' who you are
I'm starting to truly understand and know you for the first time.
I can't believe how much I see
I'm amazed at how much I'm discovering about you.
When you're lookin' back at me
Seeing you look at me makes me feel seen and known.
Now I understand why love is
I finally understand why people talk about love so much.
Can this be real, can this be true
I can't believe that what I'm feeling is actually happening.
Am I the person I was this morning
I feel like I've changed because of this experience.
And are you the same you
I'm discovering new things about you that I didn't know before.
It's all so strange how can it be
I'm having a hard time processing these new feelings and experiences.
All along this love was right in front of me
I realize now that my feelings for you were always there, I just didn't recognize them.
Such a long time ago
It feels like it's been a long time since I've felt this way.
I had given up on findin' this emotion ever again
I had given up hope of ever feeling real love again.
But you live with me now
I feel like I've found a new sense of home and comfort with you.
Yes I've found you some how
I feel so lucky to have found you.
And I'VE never been so sure
I've never been more sure of my feelings for someone than I am for you.
Love is for the first time
I realize now that love is about discovery, and discovering you has been an amazing experience.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management, FOX MUSIC, INC.
Written by: JUD J. FRIEDMAN, JAMES NEWTON HOWARD, ALLAN RICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind