Nievera was born on February 5, 1962, in Manila, Philippines with twin sister, Victoria, to Bert Nievera and Conchita Razon. Nievera spent most of his childhood in Hawaii with his father as his father sang for the group Society of Seven. The Nievera family also took up residence in the Bay Area in California for a short time in the late '70s. Martin attended high school in Walnut Creek, California.
Inspired by his father's talent and success, Nievera returned to the Philippines in 1982 to begin his own singing career and by June 1982 he released his first LP, Martin...Take One, with the album reaching platinum in just five months.[citation needed] Nievera began co-hosting the TV variety show Penthouse Live! with Pops Fernandez, the Philippines' "Concert Queen," who would later become his wife. Nievera's second LP, 1984's The Best Gift, also reached platinum. In 1987, Penthouse Live! was changed to Martin and Pops Twogether, in celebration of their marriage. After his marriage to Fernandez, with whom he has two sons, Ram and Robin, failed in 1998, he wrote and recorded music for the sole purpose of winning her back, which he called Forever. Even though he did not succeed, the music ended up in the hands of the public and rose to become a best-selling music collection. The two sequels, Forever Forever and Return to Forever are also about the split. Both of these albums hit platinum sales as well.
In 2001, he plagiarized "We Just Don't Know How To Say Goodbye" by Diane Warren and included it as "To Say Goodbye" in his "My Souvenirs" album compilation, which was later pulled out of the market for copyright violation lawsuit.[1]
As an actor, Nievera has an extensive acting career and has appeared or starred in eleven movies and seven television series and specials. Nievera's film credits include dramas, romance, science fiction, comedy and action.
Nievera is temporarily based in Las Vegas, Nevada with Katrina Ojeda with whom he has a son named Santino (born October 7, 2006). He had his 25th anniversary concert on September 14 and 15, 2007 at the Captain's Bar of the Mandarin Hotel in Makati.
He appeared with Hawaii's Society of Seven and Lani Misalucha at the Flamingo Las Vegas from February 13 through April 13, 2008. He performed a pre-Valentine/post-birthday concert with Pops Fernandez titled "Missing You" on February 6, 2009, at the Araneta Coliseum. Martin is also currently co-hosting the weekly music show called ASAP' 09.
On May 2, 2009, Nievera was chosen to sing the Philippine national anthem during the boxing match between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. Although he was criticized by the National Historical Institute because of his peculiar style in performing the anthem, many of those who watched the event, including Pacquiao, defended him.
In August 2009, Martin Nievera has a concert together with Gary Valenciano for the first time in "As 1". They also both have a new album in one collaboration album.
On September 2009, Nievera suffered Dehydration after his concert on September 19, and his best friend, Gary Valenciano worried about his buddy's condition. The following day, Martin was discharged from the Hospital.
Just Once
Martin Nievera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I guess my best wasn't good enough
Cause here we are
Back where we were before
Seems nothin' ever changes
We're back to being strangers
Wondering if we ought to stay
Or head on out the door
Just once...
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Why we never last for very long
What are we doin' wrong
Just once...
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
To make the magic last for more than just one night
If we could just get to it
I know we could break through it
(Hmm hmmmm)
I gave my all
But I think my all may have been too much
Cause Lord knows we're not gettin' anywhere
Seems we're always blowin'
Whatever we've got goin'
And it seems at times with all we've got
We haven't got a prayer
Just once...
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Why the good times never last for long
Where are we goin' wrong
Just once...
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
To make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just once
I want to understand...
Why it always comes back to goodbye
Why
Can't we get ourselves in hand
And admit to one another
We're no good without each other
Take the best and make it better
Find a way to stay together
Just once...
Can't we find a way to finally make it right (Whoa)
Make the magic last for more than just one night
I know we could break through it
If we could just get to it
Just Once...
Whoa oh, we can get to it
Just Once...
The song "Just Once" by Martin Nievera is about the struggle of a couple who keep failing to make their relationship work. The lyrics illustrate the frustration and confusion of the singer who has tried their best in the relationship, but things never seem to work out. The singer wonders if they should stay or move on, but at the same time, they want to try one more time to make things work.
The chorus repeats the phrase "Just once,” emphasizing the desire of the singer to give their relationship one more chance. The lyrics also express the need for the couple to figure out what they are doing wrong and why they can't make things last for more than one night. The singer is begging their partner to work together to find a way to make the magic last, to reconcile and move forward from the cycle of frustration and heartbreak.
Overall, "Just Once" is a powerful song that captures the struggles of a failing relationship, highlighting the desire and hope to make things work while expressing the pain of knowing it may be time to let go.
Line by Line Meaning
I did my best
I put forth all the effort and energy that I had
But I guess my best wasn't good enough
Despite my efforts, my best was not sufficient to achieve the desired outcome
Cause here we are
This is the current situation we now find ourselves in
Back where we were before
We have returned to the same place and situation we were previously in
Seems nothin' ever changes
Everything remains consistent and unaffected by our actions
We're back to being strangers
We have returned to a state where we are no longer familiar with each other
Wondering if we ought to stay
Questioning if it would be wise to remain in the current situation
Or head on out the door
Considering leaving the situation behind and moving on
Can't we figure out what we keep doin' wrong
Why we continue to make the same mistakes repeatedly
Why we never last for very long
Our relationship does not endure for a significant duration of time
I gave my all
I invested all of my energy, commitment, and dedication
But I think my all may have been too much
Perhaps my efforts were too intensive and overwhelming
Cause Lord knows we're not gettin' anywhere
We are having difficulty making progress and advancing
Seems we're always blowin'
It appears that we are consistently ruining, sabotaging, or ruining our chances
Whatever we've got goin'
No matter what advantages or opportunities we have
And it seems at times with all we've got
Despite having multiple options and resources available
We haven't got a prayer
We are unlikely to succeed or achieve success
Can't we find a way to finally make it right
Cannot we devise a way to make it work successfully in the end
To make the magic last for more than just one night
To maintain and prolong the enchantment and satisfaction of our relationship
If we could just get to it
If we could just commence taking positive steps together
Why it always comes back to goodbye
The reasons why our relationship frequently ends in a farewell
Can't we get ourselves in hand
Cannot we take control of our actions and behavior
And admit to one another
And acknowledge openly and truthfully to each other
We're no good without each other
We are incapable of thriving, progressing, or living without each other
Take the best and make it better
Make improvements to the good aspects of our relationship
Find a way to stay together
Locate a means to remain as a cohesive unit
Writer(s): BARRY MANN, CYNTHIA WEILL
Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@_Mulberrystreetgirl01_
RIP James Ingram