Taff and his wife, Tori, have two daughters: Maddie Rose and Charlotte.
Songs that Taff has done with other artists include "Strength of My Life" with Leslie Phillips; "Your Love Broke Through" with Phil Keaggy; and "Give Your Love" and "Divina" with Koinonia.
Discography
Solo
2007 Now More Than Ever (SpringHouse Records/EMI)
2003 The Best of Russ Taff (SpringHouse Records/EMI)
1999 Right Here, Right Now (Benson Records/Provident Records)
1998 The Apostle (soundtrack, Grammy)
1995 Winds of Change (Reprise Records/Warner Bros. Records)
1994 We Will Stand (Yesterday & Today) (Myrrh Records/Word Records, Greatest Hits)
1992 A Christmas Song (Sparrow Records)
1991 Under Their Influence (Myrrh/Word, Grammy)
1989 The Way Home (Myrrh/Word, Grammy Nomination)
1987 Russ Taff (Myrrh/Word, Grammy Nomination)
1985 Medals (Myrrh/Word, Grammy Nomination)
1983 Walls of Glass (Myrrh/Word, Grammy)
With Gaither Vocal Band
2003 A Cappella (SpringHouse/EMI)
2002 Everything Good (SpringHouse/EMI)
With The Imperials
1996 The Imperials LEGACY (Word, Double CD Collection)
1981 The Very Best of The Imperials (Dayspring/Word)
1980 Christmas With The Imperials (Dayspring/Word)
1980 Priority (Dayspring/Word, Grammy)
1979 One More Song For You (Dayspring/Word, Grammy Nomination)
1979 Heed The Call (Dayspring/Word, Grammy)
1978 Imperials Live (Dayspring/Word, Grammy Nomination)
1977 Sail On (Dayspring/Word, Grammy)
Once In A Lifetime
Russ Taff Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I do love you
And I always will
Last night I dreamed that you were gone
And I was here all alone
The emptiness so deep down inside
Such heartache I've never known
I cried to God with tear-stained eyes
"Oh please bring her back to me"
Just to hold you again, I'd do anything
I'd do anything to know you believe
Chorus:
That Oh you're my once in a lifetime
My angel on earth
You made a simple man's dream come true
Sweet precious one, I do love you
And I always will
I wiped my tears and held you so close
Thank God it was only a dream
Sweetheart I promise each day
To show you in some way
Just what your love means to me
Repeat Chorus
Sweet precious Lord
I do love you
And I always will
The song "Once in a Lifetime" by Russ Taff portrays love as a precious thing that should be cherished and protected at all costs. The first lines of the song set the tone for the entire narrative, with the singer immediately affirming that he loves his partner and will always love her, no matter what happens. The song then takes a turn towards the darker side of love, with the singer dreaming that his beloved is gone, leaving him alone and broken-hearted. The despair and heartache that he feels are palpable, as the emptiness inside him is deeper than anything he has ever known.
As the song progresses, the singer reaches out to God, begging for his beloved to be returned to him. He speaks of the lengths he would go to just to hold her again and make her believe that his love is real. The chorus of the song is where the emotion of the song is truly conveyed, with the singer singing about how his beloved is his once in a lifetime, his angel on earth, and how she made his dreams come true. The song finishes on a hopeful note, with the singer promising to show his love in every way possible.
Overall, "Once in a Lifetime" is a poignant and touching song about the depths of love and the lengths we will go to protect it. It shows that love can be both beautiful and painful, and that we must cherish it while we have it.
Line by Line Meaning
Sweet precious one
Addressing the loved one in a sweet, precious manner
I do love you
Affirming the love for the person
And I always will
Assuring the person of a continuous, unwavering love
Last night I dreamed that you were gone
Narrating a dream where the person was not present
And I was here all alone
Expressing loneliness experienced in the dream
The emptiness so deep down inside
Describing the intense feeling of emptiness
Such heartache I've never known
Conveying the depth of the heartache felt
I cried to God with tear-stained eyes
Telling how the person prayed to God with tears flowing down
"Oh please bring her back to me"
Requesting God to bring the person back
Just to hold you again, I'd do anything
Expressing the strong desire to hold the person again
I'd do anything to know you believe
Willingness to do anything for the person's belief
Chorus: That Oh you're my once in a lifetime
Highlighting the person's unique and special status
My angel on earth
Comparing the person to an angel on earth
You made a simple man's dream come true
Acknowledging the person as the fulfiller of a simple man's dream
Sweet precious one, I do love you
Reaffirming the love for the person with an endearing name
And I always will
Enduring love is promised to the person
I wiped my tears and held you so close
Describing a scene where tears were wiped and the person was held close
Thank God it was only a dream
Expressing gratitude that the dream was not real
Sweetheart I promise each day
Making a sweet promise to the loved one
To show you in some way
Committing to showing love in some form every day
Just what your love means to me
Describing how special the love is
Repeat Chorus
Repeating the previous chorus to emphasize the sentiment
Sweet precious Lord
Addressing God in a sweet, precious manner
I do love you
Expressing love for God
And I always will
Promising constant love for God
Contributed by Eliana W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.