Matt Monro (December 1, 1930 - February 7, 1985) was a ballad singer of th… Read Full Bio ↴Matt Monro (December 1, 1930 - February 7, 1985) was a ballad singer of the 1960s and one of great international postwar entertainers. Throughout his 30-year career he filled cabarets, nightclubs, music halls and stadiums across the globe, from Australia, Japan, the Philippines, and Hong Kong to Africa, the Middle East, Europe, and the Americas. He sold more than 25 million records during his lifetime (most of those sales however didn't come until after his death), imbuing each one with his elegant blend of majesty, sincerity, and superior technique.

Once in a While
Matt Monro Lyrics

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Once in every long and lonely while
You will wonder why you were beguiled by her
She with all her little charms
Is safe in someone else's arms
So why is it she still alarms your heart?
Where are all the dreams that once you shared?
Tell yourself you never really cared for her
Fool yourself as time goes by

But then when you believe the lie
Oh why should you be haunted by her smile
Just once in every long and lonely while?

Fool yourself as time goes by
But then when you believe the lie

Oh why should you be haunted by her smile
Just once in every long and lonely while?

Overall Meaning

The song "Once in a While" by Matt Monro expresses the emotions of someone who has been left heartbroken and struggling to move on from a past lover. The lyrics delve into the inner turmoil of the persona who is trying to convince themselves that they didn't truly care for their former partner, but their efforts to forget her fail time and time again. The opening lines "Once in every long and lonely while, you will wonder why you were beguiled by her", suggest that the persona has moments of weakness where they think about their former love and question why they fell for her in the first place. The chorus highlights the persona's efforts to forget the person as they tell themselves to fool themselves with the passage of time. However, the persona realizes that they can never forget their past love as they are haunted by her smile once in a while.

Matt Monro's voice carries the nostalgic and melancholic aspect of the song, which resonates with anyone who has been in a similar situation to the persona. The emotions expressed in the song are raw and genuine, as the persona struggles to come to terms with their heartbreak. The line "Where are all the dreams that once you shared?" evokes a sense of loss and sadness, as the persona is forced to accept the death of the relationship.

Overall, the song is a testament to the heartbreak caused by lost love. It is a reminder to anyone who has been broken-hearted that despite their best efforts to forget and move on, the sweet memories and moments will never completely fade away.

Line by Line Meaning

Once in every long and lonely while
Every once in a while, when you're feeling lonely and lost, you'll start to question why you were ever under her spell.

You will wonder why you were beguiled by her
You'll start to question why you were charmed by her in the first place.

She with all her little charms
Despite her alluring qualities,

Is safe in someone else's arms
she is now with another person.

So why is it she still alarms your heart?
You can’t seem to shake the impact she has had on you, even though she’s with someone else.

Where are all the dreams that once you shared?
You might wonder where all of the plans and hopes for the future that you both had together have gone.

Tell yourself you never really cared for her
You might try to convince yourself that you never had any true feelings for her.

Fool yourself as time goes by
You try to mislead yourself as time passes.

But then when you believe the lie
Eventually you realize the deception is actually just a lie.

Oh why should you be haunted by her smile
You try to figure out why it is that you can't help thinking about the way she smiled at you.

Just once in every long and lonely while?
But it only happens infrequently, in the midst of the loneliness that you’re feeling.

Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: GEORGE MARTIN, HAL SHAPER

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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