For Once in My Life
Stevie Wonder Lyrics


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For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
Someone I've needed so long
For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
Somehow I know I'll be strong

For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Oh, someone warm like you
Would make my dream come true

Yeah, yeah, yeah (for once in my life)

For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before (not like it's hurt before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore (I'm not alone anymore)

For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
Long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who needs me

(Someone who needs me)
Ayy, ha-ha, ayy, yeah
(Someone who needs me)
Oh, baby, oh, baby

(For once in my life)

(Make your dreams come true)
For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me (for once in my life)
Not like it's hurt me before (not like it's hurt before)
For once, I have something I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore (I'm not alone anymore)

For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
Long as I know I have love, I can make it
For once in my life, I have someone who need me (someone who needs me, yeah)

Whoa, for once in my life
(Someone who needs me, yeah)
Yeah, somebody that needs me
(Someone who needs me, yeah)




Ooh, baby
For once in my life

Overall Meaning

In "For Once in My Life," Stevie Wonder sings about finding true love and how it has changed his life. He begins by expressing his newfound sense of security and direction, which he attributes to having someone who needs him. This person has been a long-awaited dream of his heart, and he can finally touch that dream. Moreover, he is no longer afraid of life because he knows he'll be strong with this person by his side. The chorus repeats the phrase “For once in my life,” emphasizing how remarkable this experience is for him.


He goes on to explain that he has been hurt by sorrow before, but now that he has love, he won't let it hurt him again. He has something he knows won't leave him, and he's no longer alone. This newfound sense of belonging and ownership is so powerful, he proclaims that this love is something no one can take away. The song ends on a triumphant note, with Stevie Wonder reveling in the fact that he has finally found someone who needs him.


The song is a celebration of finding true love, revealing the immense joy and sense of purpose it can bring to one's life. It is also about the power of love to transform a person, to make them stronger, to bring them hope and to make their dreams come true.


Line by Line Meaning

For once in my life, I have someone who needs me
Finally, in my life, I have found someone who truly needs and depends on me.


Someone I've needed so long
This person is someone I have yearned for and wanted for a very long time.


For once, unafraid, I can go where life leads me
With this person by my side, I am finally free from fear and can confidently follow wherever life takes me.


Somehow I know I'll be strong
I have newfound strength because of the love and support of this person.


For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
The person I have found has brought me to a place where I can finally live out the dreams I had in my heart all along.


Long before I knew
These dreams were always there, even before I was consciously aware of them.


Oh, someone warm like you
The love and warmth I have found in this person is what has made my dreams come true.


Would make my dream come true
The love and warmth of this person is what has given me the ability to bring my biggest dreams to reality.


(for once in my life)
This is a momentous occasion that truly marks a big change in my life.


For once in my life, I won't let sorrow hurt me
With this newfound love, I am empowered to overcome past sorrows and not let them continue to affect me.


Not like it's hurt me before (not like it's hurt before)
I have been hurt before, but with this new love, things are different; it won't hurt me in the same way again.


For once, I have something I know won't desert me
This love is something I can count on and won't abandon me like others have in the past.


I'm not alone anymore (I'm not alone anymore)
Thanks to this love, I am no longer alone and have someone to lean on and be there for me.


For once, I can say, this is mine, you can't take it
This love is truly mine, and no one can take it away from me.


Long as I know I have love, I can make it
As long as I have this love, I feel like I can survive anything life throws at me.


Someone who needs me
The most significant thing about this love is that someone truly needs and wants me in their life.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Cheryl Rowland Hall


on Isn't She Lovely

Dedicated to my lovely daughter, Amy Kathleen Rawson, the lovely child who helped mom to grow up!

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