Three Fish is a band that was formed in 1996 by Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament. The… Read Full Bio ↴Three Fish is a band that was formed in 1996 by Pearl Jam's Jeff Ament. The lineup features Ament, Robbi Robb of Tribe After Tribe, and Richard Stuverud of Fastbacks.

The band released a self-titled effort in 1996 following their formation, where Ament and Robb, who met together on a tour where both their main bands played, collaborated on this side project, which combines rock music with mystical-style Eastern music.

The band reformed in 1999 and toured throughout the year in support of their second album, The Quiet Table.

Once in a Day
Three Fish Lyrics

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In a way you know, I have sown in out
It's been a terrible snow in a world
In a proud, in a shadow, in a tower, in a tower
In a gale
Once in a day
I was out, I can not be here
Saw the sun, was it always
In a while, holding outside, holy child in a tower

In a terror
Once in a day
And she's in love with a man she once despised
But this doesn't come as a surprise
It's just life on a course like a wild, running horse

With no limits or bounds or ties
Once, once a day

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Three Fish's song "Once in a Day" are quite abstract and difficult to interpret in a conventional sense. The imagery is surreal and dreamlike, painting a disjointed picture of a world that is both beautiful and horrifying. The lines "In a way you know, I have sown in out / It's been a terrible snow in a world" suggest a kind of disorientation or confusion, as though the singer is trying to make sense of a reality that is constantly shifting and changing.

The repeated phrase "In a proud, in a shadow, in a tower, in a tower / In a gale" creates a sense of rhythm and repetition, as if the singer is caught in a cycle of ups and downs that they cannot escape. The line "Saw the sun, was it always" hints at a moment of clarity or enlightenment, but it is quickly followed by the line "In a terror," suggesting that even moments of beauty are fraught with danger and uncertainty.

The final lines of the verse, "And she's in love with a man she once despised / But this doesn't come as a surprise / It's just life on a course like a wild, running horse / With no limits or bounds or ties" suggest that the song is ultimately about the unpredictability of love and life. Just as the world is constantly shifting and changing, so are our emotions and relationships, and we must learn to embrace the chaos and uncertainty rather than trying to control it.

Line by Line Meaning

In a way you know, I have sown in out
I have scattered my seeds in various ways and you may already know this

It's been a terrible snow in a world
There has been a terrible coldness in the world

In a proud, in a shadow, in a tower, in a tower
I have experienced pride, darkness, and isolation in myself and in others

In a gale
I have faced strong winds and turmoil in my life

Once in a day
At some point in time, in a single day

I was out, I can not be here
I was not present and could not stay in that moment

Saw the sun, was it always
I saw the sun and wondered if it had always been there

In a while, holding outside, holy child in a tower
After some time, I am standing outside holding onto something sacred while feeling isolated

In a terror
I am experiencing fear and terror

Once in a day
Again, at some point in time, in a single day

And she's in love with a man she once despised
A woman has fallen in love with a man whom she previously disliked