Lil Greenwood (November 18, 1923 – July 19, 2011) was an American Jazz and … Read Full Bio ↴Lil Greenwood (November 18, 1923 – July 19, 2011) was an American Jazz and R&B vocalist.
Greenwood was born in Prichard, Alabama and attended Alabama State College. In 1949 she moved to San Francisco to pursue a singing career. She worked as a vocalist for 'Roy Milton & His Solid Senders' for 3 years, beginning in 1950. During this time, she also recorded her own sides for the Modern and Federal labels. In 1956 she began working as a soloist for the Duke Ellington Orchestra where she remained through the early 1960s. In the 1970s, she guest starred in the television series Good Times and The Jeffersons.
Greenwood died in her hometown of Prichard on July 19, 2011. She was buried in the Catholic Cemetery of Mobile, Alabama.

Once In A While
Lil Greenwood Lyrics

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Once in a while will you try to give
One little thought to me
Though someone else may be
Nearer your heart?

Once in a while will you dream
Of the moments I shared with you
Moments before we two

Drifted apart?

In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
That spark may burn again

I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory
Knowing you think of me
Once in a while

In love's smoldering ember
One spark may remain
If love still can remember
The spark may burn again

I know that I'll be contented
With yesterday's memory

Knowing you think of me
Once in a while

Overall Meaning

The song "Once in A While" by Lil Greenwood speaks about a lover who wants to know if their ex-partner ever thinks about them even though someone else may be nearer their heart. The first verse of the song is a plea for the ex-partner to give just one little thought to the singer even though they may have separated. In the second verse, the singer is asking if the ex-partner dreams of the moments they shared with each other before they drifted apart.

The chorus of the song talks about how love still has the power to rekindle itself even after it's smoldered away. The lyrics suggest that if a small spark of love remains, then it has the potential to burn again. At the end of the chorus, the singer concludes that they'll remain contented with the memories of yesterday, knowing that their ex-partner thinks of them even once in a while.

The overall theme of the song is about the possibility of love rekindling and the hope that remains within a relationship even after it has ended. The lyrics of the song show the vulnerability that comes with love and the strength that it can have in holding onto the past.

Line by Line Meaning

Once in a while will you try to give
Would you ever attempt to give me any thought, however small?

One little thought to me
Just a fleeting thought of me.

Though someone else may be
Even though there may be someone else closer to your heart.

Nearer your heart?
Closer to you than I am?

Once in a while will you dream
Do you sometimes dream of the moments we shared?

Of the moments I shared with you
Of the moments we spent together in the past.

Moments before we two
The moments we shared before we drifted apart.

Drifted apart?
When we were no longer together.

In love's smoldering ember
Despite the fading of our love.

One spark may remain
A little bit of love may still exist.

If love still can remember
If the love we once had still exists in some form.