For Once In My Life
Tony Bennett & Stevie Wonder Lyrics
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Someone I've needed so long
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Who have my dreams come true
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me
Not like it's hurt me before
For once I have someone I know won't desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
For once I can say
This is mine you can't take it
As long as I know I have love we can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
The song "For Once In My Life" is a duet by Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder who express their sense of relief and happiness over finally finding someone who loves and needs them. The lyrics talk about their newfound confidence and freedom, and the feeling of being accepted despite one's flaws and mistakes.
The first verse talks about the singer finally finding someone who needs them after searching for a long time. This person makes the singer's dreams come true and helps them face life's challenges with strength and courage. The second verse talks about the singer's past experiences with sorrow and despair but now that they have someone who won't leave them, they feel secure and protected. The chorus repeats the sentiment that as long as the singer has love, everything else is bearable and they can make it through anything.
The song is an optimistic and hopeful ballad that celebrates the power of love and the sense of belonging that comes with it. It is a reminder that even in the darkest times, there is always hope and a chance to find happiness and meaning in life.
Line by Line Meaning
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
After a long time, I have found someone who truly requires my presence in their life.
Someone I've needed so long
The person I am with is someone I have been longing for.
For once unafraid I can go where life leads me and somehow I know I'll be strong
Being with this person has given me the confidence to be fearless and take on whatever life throws at me.
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of Long before I knew Someone warm like you Who have my dreams come true
This person has made my heart's long-standing aspirations a reality, even before I met them.
For once in my life I won't let sorrow hurt me Not like it's hurt me before
This individual has helped me avoid the pain that I have experienced from past losses.
For once I have someone I know won't desert me I'm not alone anymore
Now that I am with someone who would never abandon me, I do not feel lonely anymore.
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it As long as I know I have love I can make it
I am secure in the realization that the love I have in my life is something that nobody can take away from me.
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
I have finally found someone who prioritizes me.
For once I can say This is mine you can't take it
Now I can firmly say that what I possess is exclusively mine and cannot be taken away.
As long as I know I have love we can make it For once in my life I have someone who needs me
As long as the love between us persists, I know we will be able to thrive together.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Ronald N. Miller, Orlando Murden
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Deniz Silveira
TONY BENNETT FT. STEVIE WONDER - FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE
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
And somehow I know I'll be strong
For once I can touch what my heart used to dream of
Long before I knew
Someone warm like you
Could make my dreams come true
For once in my life I wont let sorrow hurt me
Not like its hurt me before
For once I have someone I know wont desert me
I'm not alone anymore
For once I can say: this is mine you can't take it
Long as I know I am love I can make it
For once in my life I have someone who needs me
Deniz Silveira
TONY BENNETT FT. STEVIE WONDER - POR UMA VEZ EM MINHA VIDA (TRADUÇÃO DE "FOR ONCE IN MY LIFE")
Por uma vez em minha vida eu tenho alguém que precisa de mim
Alguém que eu tenho precisado a tanto tempo
Por uma vez sem medo eu posso ir onde a vida me levar
E de qualquer forma eu sei que eu estarei forte
Por uma vez eu posso tocar o que meu coração costumava sonhar
Antes de conhecer
Alguma pessoa apaixonada gosta de você
Pode fazer meus sonhos se tornarem realidade
Por uma vez na minha vida eu não permitiria a tristeza me machucar
Não como me machucou antes
Por uma vez eu tenho alguém que eu sei que não me deixaria
Eu não estou mais sozinho
Por uma vez eu posso dizer: isto é meu e você não pode tirar
Como eu sei que eu amo eu posso fazer isso
Por uma vez na minha vida eu tenho alguém que precisa de mim
Mark Blackburn
Elsewhere this day – on the “Tony Bennett” thread (nearing 100 thousand “views”) at SinatraFamily.com Ronald Sarbo (he and I are 'of an age') shared a mini-review:
“Tony was MAGNIFICENT last night at Radio City Music Hall.
“Tony was introduced by Frank Sinatra speaking authoritatively from the great....beyond.
“I could not help but think that it was an April night 25 years ago that I last saw Sinatra at RCMH. It was the night he said 'This is probably the last time we will all be together.' The tears came to my eyes.”
---
I'd just been thinking of my single favorite 'live' performance EVER at the Grammy awards: Tony and Stevie. Concerning which, the next day (January 2007) I wrote this in a review of Tony's first DUETS CD:
Last night at the "Grammy's" something wonderful happened - Tony Bennett and Stevie Wonder shared an award for their duet of a song each had recorded in 1967 - "For Once in My Life."
On the same night, 40 years earlier, more popular hit songs ("Up, Up and Away," "Respect" and "Gentle on My Mind") had edged out Tony's and Stevie's versions of "For Once in My Life." Almost the only one of his hits Stevie DIDN'T write, the song was co-written by Ronald Miller (a nephew of pianist Bill Miller, Frank Sinatra's career accompanist, who died last summer on tour with Sinatra Junior, in Montreal).
When Tony Bennett introduced the song, in 1967 "For Once in My Life" was underappreciated, while Stevie's rendition became his then-biggest hit, to date.
----
For months I've been telling friends that "track eleven on Tony's latest album - his duet with Stevie Wonder -- is the `pick of the litter.'" And while popular music's elder statesman -- now in his 81st year - would never have admitted it on stage last night, I believe that he and Stevie, in their heart-of-hearts would agree with the folks at the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences -- that this was the Grammy winner, among the 23 terrific duets on this album.
Is that 'live at the Grammys' performance at YouTube. Nope. But even better: Tony and Stevie sitting down with their producer, the late Phil Ramone – on “the making of” same:
Footnotes [from 2007]
So . . . which songs edged out Tony's and Stevie's versions of "For Once in My Life" for the Grammy's in 1967? "Song of the Year" went to composer Jim Webb for "Up, Up and Away" (and to the "Fifth Dimension" for performing it). The R&B Song of the year was "Respect" -- the Grammy went to Otis Redding for writing the words and music (not to Aretha Franklin who had a Number 1 hit with it). And the C&W song award that year went to John Hartford, for "Gentle on My Mind."]
Ronald Miller, who wrote the words to "For Once in My Life" and composer Orlando Murden never had another hit (but if each of us could only have written one great song from the Sixties . . . why not that one?)
Thanks, "Tony Bennett" for sharing this! Celebrated this night at SinatraFamily.com -- "Siriusly Sinatra" -- MY FAVORITE VERSION - YOURS TOO? https://sinatrafamily.com/forum/showthread.php/50225-My-Favorite-Version-%28yours-too-%29?p=1274204#post1274204
rosalyn prince
I absolutely love this. I can’t stop playing it. Both artists have me in awe with their version together.
taylor from earth
THIS RECORDING. It's lush and detailed. And both of these guys literally give perfect performances. I wish everyone could hear this.
Armando Terron
Arranged by the Argentinean Maestro Jorge Calandrelli, for whom I had the honor and priviledge to have engineered and mixed a couple projects. The man is simply a musical genius. 🎶👍🏼🎶
Kay
Tony bennet is a legend. Stevie wonder is a work of art. Both is crazy awesome
tiffsaver
I've been a professional musician for sixty years. I've noticed when watching these duets with Tony Bennett, that you can easily see who is his musical equal, and who is struggling just to "keep up." You can see it here in Tony's clear admiration of Stevie's talent, and when Stevie takes it to an entirely different level. Has anyone else noticed that??
tiffsaver
@dela
Wrong. They all try to "fit" HIS vibe. Most of the time, they fail. But I can't blame them for trying...
tiffsaver
@Mark Blackburn
Back at 'ya, my friend.
dela
or maybe Tony is really are a great singer he try to fits the vibes of all those singers
oenrob98000
One Legend acknowledging another Legend 💖💖💖
Jeff D
One of the best recordings of anything ever in the history of music.