Kongos is a rock band of four brothers - Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Danny Kon… Read Full Bio ↴Kongos is a rock band of four brothers - Johnny, Jesse, Dylan and Danny Kongos. Sons of multi-million-seller British singer-songwriter John Kongos, they grew up in London and South Africa, and are now based in Phoenix, AZ, USA.

Written, produced and engineered by themselves, their debut album was released in 2007, receiving glowing reviews and earning a spot on Get Out's top 10 local albums. Later that year, they were named Best Rock Band of Phoenix (Phoenix New Times). Their single In The Music reached No. 9 on South Africa's influential TuksFM top 40.

Currently recording their second album, Kongos is releasing a single a month -- the first two have been: It's a Good Life and Come With Me Now.

"It's rare to be in on the ground floor of something that doesn't sound like anything else you might've heard before ..." (Phoenix New Times)

"Kongos sounds like no other band, not just in the Valley, but in the whole of mainstream rock music ..." (Get Out)

"Kongos are bound to make it big. Their songs are radio-ready and they have a frickin' kickin' accordion!" (Music-Critic.com)

Sites: Kongos.com (official)

This Time I Won't Forget
Kongos Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, I will try
But I tell you it ain't easy using only words
And so I'll begin
But I'll start at the end, the day I said so long my friend

I still remember well
His smile that would not die
And the tears begin to swell

Tears I dare not fight

'Cause now I'm alive
I'm taking my first breath
Oh I'm alive
And this time I won't forget

Now I'm alive
I'm taking my first breath
Oh I'm alive
And this time I won't forget

Now as I look back
Wish I'd known that someday soon he'd long be gone
So, I will try
To remember the end, the day I said so long my friend

They go by many names
Mother, father, brother, son
And the tears begin to swell
Tears I dare not fight

'Cause now I'm alive
I'm taking my first breath
Oh I'm alive
And this time I won't forget

Now I'm alive
I'm taking my first breath
Oh I'm alive
And this time I won't forget

Oh I'm alive
And this time I won't forget

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to KONGOS's song This Time I Won't Forget speak to the emotional weight of saying goodbye to someone for the last time. The opening lines acknowledge the difficulty in expressing such a profound feeling through words alone. The singer then begins to recount the memory of saying goodbye to a friend (or loved one) whose smile was still present despite the heavy emotions of the moment causing tears to well up. The chorus builds on the idea of being alive and cherishing each moment by vowing to not forget the experience and to live fully going forward. The second verse acknowledges the universal nature of saying goodbye to someone important and the emotions that come with it before returning to the chorus with renewed energy and determination.

One interpretation of the song is that it is about the death of a loved one and the process of grieving. The opening lines suggest a difficulty in finding the right words and the subsequent verses and choruses express the emotional journey of saying goodbye and finding a way to honor the memories of the person who has passed away. The song can also be interpreted as a call to appreciate life and the people in it while they are still present.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh, I will try
I'll attempt to convey my feelings

But I tell you it ain't easy using only words
It's challenging to express everything I want to say through language alone

And so I'll begin
I'll start to tell my story

But I'll start at the end, the day I said so long my friend
I'll begin at the conclusion of my story, the day I said goodbye to a loved one

I still remember well
I vividly recall

His smile that would not die
His joyous expression that persisted

And the tears begin to swell
I feel the onset of tears

Tears I dare not fight
I won't resist crying

'Cause now I'm alive
Because I'm still living

I'm taking my first breath
I'm starting fresh

And this time I won't forget
I won't let the memories slip away