One Way Ticket
Nightingale Lyrics


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He always tried to seize the day
Now he let it slip away
Shining sun or falling rain
Doesn't matter anymore
Another boring day begins
Already knows how it will end
And now he's losing faith in you
You used to guide him
You showed the way the he should follow
He built a world upon your promise
He would be saved

He's all alone, no one to hold
When the nights are long and cold
He prayed to you for some relief
For some reward for his belief
He tried so hard to do it right
Saw the world in black and white
But now it's fading into grey

He feel temptation
He's never had a night of passion
Or numbed his mind with the firewater
Never felt alive

Oh he's lost again
Now the world will see
Another soul led astray
Another destiny thrown away
The one way ticket in his trembling hand
Is the testimony to the tragedy
Was he never meant to be
never meant to be

He boarded the plane towards the end
A grave among the neon lights
Realized his wildest dreams
In a drunken, hazy night

He sold his life and the money made
Spent it all on the last crusade
His celebration of the end

The one's who found him
Said he smiled and looked so peaceful
And in his hand he held a letter
It said... "No one came"

I hope you're happy in the world beyond
That you find what you need
That you get what you want

The world has lost again
And no one will see
Another soul led astray
Another destiny thrown away
The final letter in his lifeless hand




Is the testimony to the tragedy
Was he never meant to be??

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in Nightingale's song One Way Ticket paint a story of a man who has lost faith in life and the promised rewards that he believed would come with following the guidance of a higher power. The man seems to have given up on trying to make the most of each day and has resigned himself to a fate of boredom and despair. He used to have faith in a higher power that would guide him along the right path, but now he feels abandoned and alone.


The man's struggles with temptation are also portrayed in the lyrics, indicating that he has not fully given up on life but is struggling to find a way to enjoy it. He has never experienced the thrill of passion or the numbing effects of alcohol, implying that he has led a sheltered life. The lyrics suggest that the man has reached his breaking point and has decided to give up on life altogether. He purchases a one-way ticket and embarks on a journey towards the end of his life.


The lyrics also suggest that the man's life did not end as he had hoped. Despite his efforts to find happiness and meaning in life, he died alone and without anyone to share his final moments with. The final letter he held in his hand serves as a testament to the tragedy of a life unfulfilled.


Line by Line Meaning

He always tried to seize the day
He was always motivated to live in the present


Now he let it slip away
He lost the motivation to live in the present


Shining sun or falling rain
The weather no longer affects him


Doesn't matter anymore
He no longer cares about anything


Another boring day begins
Every day feels the same and uninteresting


Already knows how it will end
He feels stuck in a routine and sees no way out


And now he's losing faith in you
He no longer believes in the guidance he once had


You used to guide him
He once had someone to guide him through life


You showed the way that he should follow
That someone showed him the right path to take


He built a world upon your promise
He trusted and relied on that someone's promise


He would be saved
He believed that someone would save him


He's all alone, no one to hold
He feels lonely and has no one to comfort him


When the nights are long and cold
He feels the loneliness the most during cold nights


He prayed to you for some relief
He turned to that someone for help and comfort


For some reward for his belief
He hoped that his faith would be rewarded


He tried so hard to do it right
He made a genuine effort to live a good life


Saw the world in black and white
He saw the world as either good or bad, with no in-between


But now it's fading into grey
His view of the world is changing and becoming less clear


He feel temptation
He starts to feel the temptation to break free from his old lifestyle


He's never had a night of passion
He has never experienced the excitement and thrill of living in the moment


Or numbed his mind with the firewater
He has never tried to escape from reality through alcohol or other means


Never felt alive
He has never truly felt alive and free


Oh he's lost again
He feels lost and unsure once again


Now the world will see
Others will see the tragedy of his life


Another soul led astray
Another person who was guided in the wrong direction


Another destiny thrown away
Another person who wasted their potential


The one way ticket in his trembling hand
The ticket that symbolizes the end of his life


Is the testimony to the tragedy
It represents the sadness and despair of his life


Was he never meant to be
He questions whether he was meant to live this way


He boarded the plane towards the end
He made the decision to end his life


A grave among the neon lights
He chose to end his life in a bustling city


Realized his wildest dreams
He felt like he was finally free from the monotony of his old life


In a drunken, hazy night
He spent his last moments in a state of drunkenness and confusion


He sold his life and the money made
He traded his life for money


Spent it all on the last crusade
He spent all his money on his final, self-destructive act


His celebration of the end
His final act was a way of celebrating the end of his life


The one's who found him
The people who discovered his body


Said he smiled and looked so peaceful
Despite his troubled life, he looked content in death


And in his hand he held a letter
He left a note behind


It said... 'No one came'
The note was a message to the person who promised to save him, but never did


I hope you're happy in the world beyond
He wishes the person who failed him is at peace


That you find what you need
He hopes that person found what they were looking for


That you get what you want
He hopes that person achieved their desires


The world has lost again
The world has lost yet another soul


And no one will see
No one will truly understand the sadness of his life


The final letter in his lifeless hand
The letter he wrote before ending his life


Is the testimony to the tragedy
His letter represents the sadness and hopelessness of his life


Was he never meant to be??
He questions whether his life was meant to be this tragic




Contributed by Miles H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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