Once Upon A Time
The Pogues Lyrics


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The hour's late and the lights are low
I'm wlaking home just kicking stones
I waited at the depot you never showed
You missed the last bus hours ago
I remember the first time
I saw you on the street
You looked so pretty my heart skipped a beat
I can't wait any longer but I still feel the heat
I'm down but I'm still on my feet

I walked on down by the old fairground
Up from the docks blew al lonely sound
I sat for a while on the cold hard ground
Watched the stars slowly turn as the earth spun around
As the past fails behind up ahead there's a crack
Of light shining bright through the night so black
Like a runaway train rolling down the track
From here there's no turning back

Listen to me baby
Once upon a tim
My heart was an ocean
You swam against the tide
The timeis past for grieving
My tears have all run dry
I'll leave you with my love
And now I say goodbye

The bottles broken. the glasses are cracked
The cards are al dealt and the chips have been stacked
The lamp shades busted and the curtains are torn
The door keeps knocking but there's nobody home
I stood by the road brushed a tear from my eye
Cursed the cars and the rain and the rolling grey sky




I turned around, turned my back on that town
And I never looked back again

Overall Meaning

The lyrics in The Pogues' song "Once Upon a Time" tell a story of a love that never came to fruition. The song begins with the singer walking home and kicking stones after waiting for their love interest at the depot, who never showed up. The singer remembers the first time they saw their love interest and how pretty they looked. The singer can't wait any longer for their love interest to show up but still feels the heat.


The singer then walks by the old fairground and hears a lonely sound coming from the docks. The singer sits on the cold hard ground and watches the stars turn as the past fails behind them. The lyrics indicate that there's no turning back from this moment, almost as if the singer has finally realized that the love they were waiting for would never come. The refrain "Listen to me baby, once upon a time, my heart was an ocean, you swam against the tide," implies that the singer's love interest never reciprocated their feelings. The song ends with the singer leaving the town and never looking back.


The song's lyrics offer a melancholic tone that becomes more apparent in the second half of the song. The guitar and harmonica sounds complement the lyrics' tone and create a sense of longing for something unattainable.


Line by Line Meaning

The hour's late and the lights are low
It's late at night and the streetlights are dim


I'm wlaking home just kicking stones
I'm walking home alone, sad and aimless


I waited at the depot you never showed
I waited for you at the station, but you didn't come


You missed the last bus hours ago
You missed the last bus, and it's been hours since then


I remember the first time
I remember the first time I met you


I saw you on the street
I saw you walking on the street


You looked so pretty my heart skipped a beat
You looked so beautiful that my heart skipped a beat


I can't wait any longer but I still feel the heat
I can't wait any longer to see you, but I still feel the passion


I'm down but I'm still on my feet
I'm sad, but I'm still standing


I walked on down by the old fairground
I walked past the old abandoned fairground


Up from the docks blew al lonely sound
I heard a sad and lonely sound coming from the docks


I sat for a while on the cold hard ground
I sat down on the cold hard ground for a while


Watched the stars slowly turn as the earth spun around
I watched the stars slowly move as the earth rotated


As the past fails behind up ahead there's a crack
As I leave the past behind, I see a crack of light up ahead


Of light shining bright through the night so black
A bright light shining through the dark night


Like a runaway train rolling down the track
Like a train moving quickly and uncontrollably


From here there's no turning back
I've made my decision and there's no going back


Listen to me baby
Listen to me, my love


Once upon a tim
Once upon a time


My heart was an ocean
My heart was full of love


You swam against the tide
You went against my love


The timeis past for grieving
It's no longer the time for mourning


My tears have all run dry
I've shed too many tears to cry anymore


I'll leave you with my love
I'll leave you with my love, even though it hurts


And now I say goodbye
And now I'm saying goodbye forever


The bottles broken. the glasses are cracked
The bottles are broken, the glasses are shattered


The cards are al dealt and the chips have been stacked
The game is over, and the chips are put away


The lamp shades busted and the curtains are torn
The lamp shades are broken, and the curtains are ripped


The door keeps knocking but there's nobody home
Someone is knocking at the door, but there's no one inside


I stood by the road brushed a tear from my eye
I stood by the road and wiped away my tears


Cursed the cars and the rain and the rolling grey sky
I cursed the cars, the rain, and the gloomy sky


I turned around, turned my back on that town
I turned around and left that town behind


And I never looked back again
And I never turned back or looked back again




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@ragrautstuck1

Brilliant!! One of the best songs from one of the best bands ever!

@rustymackemingrancanaria6360

Always loved this song .

@peterregan339

20 years since I heard this. Great tune x

@arahawkins6187

Such a great band and song. Loved the Pogues since my high school days in the 80s

@bodamyan_bg

Ara Hawkins mmmhmmm!

@skandicci

I love this song!!!

@petratyrasa8298

Total genial!!!! Habe diesen Song vor kurzem zum allerersten Mal im Radio gehört. Kannte ich vorher gar nicht... Ging sofort ins Ohr....

@seanmclenaghen4296

my favorite song of all times

@HuaynaPotosi

The Pogues, you are so great, I love you!

@livmurray1958

He was, still, a Genius in Irish Music, Literature, History in his Music, great new Program on him celebrating his 60th.. awarded a HARP from the Irish President 🇮🇪☘️💚🇮🇪☘️💚 forever Loved, he saved Irish Music ..they say..

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