Their 1985 debut album was a great success in South Africa, but the increased publicity also led to internal disputes, and bassist Johan Griesel left the group shortly after the album's release. Adding bassist Chris Bekker, they released an EP in 1986; however, internal tensions led to a split in 1987.
Craig Else went to Los Angeles to become a sound engineer. In 2000 he joined Bay City Rollers. Johan Griesel went on to become a recording engineer; Danny de Wet later played with Wonderboom, and Harold Shenk went on to do production work on the South African music scene.
Francois du Plessis is now an avant-garde artist working in Germany. Jon Selby continues to do work as a songwriter, and currently resides in Israel with his wife and three children.
Members
Jon Selby - guitar, vocals, songwriter
Sheldon Thomas - keyboards
Craig Else - guitar
Johan Griesel - bass
Danny de Wet - drums
Francois du Plessis - drums (early member)
Harold Shenk - keyboards (early member)
Chris Bekker - bass (1986-1987)
Discography
1985: The Voice Of Reason (Warner Bros. Records)
1986: The Perfect Gift EP (Warner Bros. Records)
1994: Young Lions (compilation) (Tusk Records)
2006: Once In A Lifetime (RetroFresh)
Once In A Lifetime
Petit Cheval Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We will all strive to be true
But in the end our age-old human weaknesses
Will we ever see it through?
Now I climb the hills of heat, we are dreaming
And I never see the light
We are living in this world of open misery
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
I hear the schoolgirl cry in the valley
I hear the church bell ring
We are living in this land of opportunity
What does the future bring?
So I climb the hills of heat, we are dreaming
And I never see the light
We are living in this land of pain and misery
Never give up the fight
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
Are you ready?
Are you... ready?
Are you ready for the coming of a season?
Are you ready for my tears?
Are you ready for the pain and all the suffering?
These are the golden years
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime, ooh
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
The lyrics to Petit Cheval's song Once in a Lifetime seem to be grappling with the age-old struggle of human nature - the desire to be honest and true, yet the inevitability of our weaknesses getting in the way. The opening lines set the tone for the rest of the song, with a call for all to strive hard and clean to be honest, but questioning whether we will ever truly see it through.
The second verse describes the singer climbing the hills of heat, dreaming but never seeing the light, and living in a world of open misery. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for the struggles and obstacles we face in trying to live a good and honest life. The chorus repeats the phrase "once in a lifetime", perhaps highlighting that this is a rare opportunity for us to strive for honesty and goodness, but also emphasizing the difficulty of achieving this.
The bridge of the song adds a sense of urgency and a call to action. The singer asks whether the listener is ready for the coming of a season, for their tears and for the pain and suffering that they will encounter. These lyrics seem to suggest that the journey towards living an honest life will not be easy, and that we must be prepared for the challenges that come with it. Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the human struggle between our innate desire to be good and honest, and the realities of human weakness and the difficulties of achieving this in our lives.
Line by Line Meaning
We will all strive hard and clean to be honest men
We will all work hard and honestly to become truthful individuals.
We will all strive to be true
We will all strive to be authentic and truthful.
But in the end our age-old human weaknesses
However, in the end, our innate human vulnerabilities
Will we ever see it through?
Will we ever be able to overcome them?
Now I climb the hills of heat, we are dreaming
Currently, I am enduring trials and tribulations with the hope of a brighter future
And I never see the light
However, I am still struggling to see any progress.
We are living in this world of open misery
We are existing in a world that is full of visible grief and despair.
Never give up the fight
Nonetheless, we must continue fighting and persevering.
I hear the schoolgirl cry in the valley
I can hear the pained cries of a young girl in the valley.
I hear the church bell ring
I also hear the ringing of a nearby Church's bell.
We are living in this land of opportunity
We reside in a place that offers numerous possibilities and chances for success.
What does the future bring?
What does the future hold in store for us?
Are you ready?
Are you prepared?
Are you... ready?
Are you unequivocally ready?
Are you ready for the coming of a season?
Are you prepared for the upcoming changes or transformations?
Are you ready for my tears?
Are you prepared for the emotions and sorrow that may arise due to my struggles?
Are you ready for the pain and all the suffering?
Are you prepared for the discomfort and all the distress we may experience?
These are the golden years
These are considered the prime years of our lives.
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
A rare occurrence, an event that happens only once in our lifetime.
Once in a lifetime, once in a lifetime
A scarce moment, an event that occurs once in our lifetime.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Lance van Heerden
Only the ones growing up in SA in the 80's can relate to this. What I would give to have this over!!
Gary Kouloumbis
I agree fully, I grew up then
Anne Wolfe
I'm 31 now and can't believe we actually had great music like this in SA at the time. My generation really missed out :(
Ant Thomas
Now that is a blast from the past! Used to follow these guys with a gang of friends (hey Morag and David!). They were a big deal in our world at the time - I was at Wits Tech studying TV Technology. Then I got into punk and started singing for Toxik Sox. Different times.
Stuart McLaren
This is simply fantastic!!!
Andrew B
Excellent band!! Saw them live at the 3 Arts Theatre in Cape Town! Really world class - if SA policies weren't what they were they could have made it big in other parts of the world.
poliz死
Im John's son
John agrees!!!
astec577
Love it! Sometimes I wish I could go back to that era. Wonder what happened to them?
poliz死
This is hes son speaking im 11 and he is as crazy as everrrrr
Mercia Rand
Haha I saw them live performing with Mango Groove, Chess, Evoid and some others in the civic theatre in Kroonstad (yes yes I lived there!) in 1988. Awesome memories :)