"Her voice has a soaring caramel quality few can match. I'm thinking move over Tina Harrod and Renee Geyer. She's so good, I'd go so far as to say it was brave of even Ruthie (Foster) to take her on" -
AUSTRALIAN STAGE
"When I first heard Ngaiire it was one of those moments when you just go, that has all the right bits in all the right places. It was a soulful massage for my eardrums. Beautiful harmonies, great songs, sass, sincerity and soul to spare" -
JOHN BUTLER
Once
Ngaiire Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
singin' a song about how we have no trouble
(hey)
**rides are long like a life line time its** something that feels good in the palm of your hand
we shake our bodies til we go insane, action is sweet and electric **we die repeate-tedively**
(ohh)
()
to be the first time we do it
so you can do it again
its just a second of ruin
do it again and again
and if we did it a million
and if we did it for love
we didnt do it enough
we like to dance and we do we see double
the world could end and we'd just go to rubble
life is long for the most, part time its on your side if you've got a break it- heal it, break it- heal it heart
(oh)
()
(do it, do it again)
(do it × 3)
(again and again and once)
()
*** forgive my errors, these parts are incredibly hard to hear! please correct me if you know what it actually says!
The lyrics of Ngaiire's song "Once" speaks about the excitement and thrill that one feels during their first experience of doing something. The opening lines, "we get a buzz on the bubblegum bubble/singin' a song about how we have no trouble" sets a playful, carefree tone for the rest of the song. The "buzz" represents the excitement and anticipation of trying something for the first time, while the "bubblegum bubble" signifies the temporary nature of the experience. The next line, "rides are long like a life line time it's something that feels good in the palm of your hand", shows that even though the experience may be fleeting, the memories that it creates would remain with us forever. It is something that is so intoxicating that it feels good and comforting in the palm of our hands, as if we can wrap our fingers around the experience and keep it with us.
The chorus, "Once/to be the first time we do it/so you can do it again/it's just a second of ruin/do it again and again/and if we did it a million/and if we did it for love/we didn't do it enough" emphasizes the idea that first-time experiences are terribly addicting. It seems like all we want to do is relive the moment again and again. The line, "it's just a second of ruin" parallels the fleeting nature of the experience, though it feels so good at the time, it's something that we cannot maintain for a long period of time.
The second verse, "we like to dance and we do we see double/the world could end and we'd just go to rubble/life is long for the most, part time it's on your side if you've got a break it- heal it, break it- heal it heart" speaks about the power of music and dance to bring people together. Ngaiire speaks about dancing until they see double, indicating the high that comes from that moment. She also highlights how life is long and unpredictable, but the experience of doing something new for the first time can lift one up from the troubles that will follow.
Line by Line Meaning
we get a buzz on the bubblegum bubble
We feel excitement and energy when we chew bubblegum.
singin' a song about how we have no trouble
We express our confidence through music.
rides are long like a life line time its something that feels good in the palm of your hand
The experience is enjoyable and satisfying like holding something precious in your hand.
we shake our bodies til we go insane, action is sweet and electric we die repeate-tedively
We dance with intense passion and feel a rush of excitement until we are exhausted.
once to be the first time we do it so you can do it again its just a second of ruin do it again and again and if we did it a million and if we did it for love we didnt do it enough
The first time we try something is special, and we want to repeat that feeling. We don't regret doing something repeatedly or for love, as it brings us joy.
we like to dance and we do we see double the world could end and we'd just go to rubble life is long for the most, part time its on your side if youve got a break it- heal it, break it- heal it heart
We enjoy dancing and sometimes feel dizzy while doing so. Even in difficult times, we keep going with a resilient and strong heart.
(do it, do it again) (do it × 3) (again and again and once)
We want to repeat the enjoyable experience again and again, including the special initial time.
Contributed by Nathaniel A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@NGAIIRE
‘Closer’ Music Video OUT NOW!! This was made with an entire Pasifika/First Nations cast and a crew of incredibly gifted and hard working wizards: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TJOr7ke1eT4
@glord122
This song has been stuck in my head for months and I literally couldn't find it anywhere, I just kept on humming the start and it was killing me! But now, yes now my life is complete
@zinniamclloyd9798
Papua New Guinean IT is 🇵🇬 you rock gurrrll!!! Love from LA❣😍 xox
@zinniamclloyd9798
5:55 that bilum tho☺️
@zinniamclloyd9798
5:55 that bilum tho☺️
@banarama88
How has this not taken off? Beautiful track with an amazing vocalist
@stevetreloar6602
+Matt Gould Listen to Tripple J; if it's worth listening to they're playing it.
@catdraggon8542
best song my ears have ever heard. thank you for existing beautiful Ngaiire
@aaronjrose84
I think I could listen to this song all day!
@Kolgkama
LOL! PNGans on this carriage... didn't expect that!