All at Once
Whitney Houston Lyrics


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All at once
I finally took a moment
And I'm realizing that
You're not coming back
And it's finally hit me all at once
All at once I've started counting teardrops
And at least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were shattered all at once

Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone

All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once

All at once I looked around and found that you were
With another love
In someone else's arms
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
All at once the smile that used to greet me
Brightened someone else's day
She took your smile away
And left me with just memories all at once

Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone

All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once

All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once

And that's all that matters now
All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me




And it hurts me more than you know
All at once

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Whitney Houston's song "All at Once" convey the pain and heartbreak of losing a loved one. The song describes the moment when the singer finally realizes that the person she loves is not coming back to her. She has been counting her tears and facing the reality that her dreams have been shattered. Even though she is trying to move on, memories of the person still haunt her every day. She feels stranded on a "lonely sea" and wishes the person would come back to her. The singer is grieving the loss of her love and coming to terms with facing life alone.


The song captures the universal experience of loss and heartbreak. It shows how love can turn into pain and how one can feel consumed by the memories of the past. It also highlights the difficulty of moving on and the challenges of facing life alone. The haunting melody and Whitney Houston's powerful voice add depth and emotion to the lyrics.


Line by Line Meaning

All at once
Suddenly and unexpectedly


I finally took a moment
I finally had a chance to reflect


And I'm realizing that
I am coming to the understanding that


You're not coming back
Our relationship has ended permanently


And it's finally hit me all at once
The realization has occurred suddenly and powerfully


All at once I've started counting teardrops
Suddenly and without warning, I begin to cry


And at least a million fell
I cried an enormous amount


My eyes began to swell
My eyes became inflamed and red from crying


And all my dreams were shattered all at once
I have lost all hope and my aspirations have been crushed


Ever since I met you
From the moment we first met


You're the only love I've known
You are the only person I have loved


And I can't forget you
I cannot erase you from my memory


Though I must face it all alone
Despite the fact that I must confront my feelings without you


All at once I'm drifting on a lonely sea
I feel lost and alone


Wishing you'd come back to me
I yearn for your return


And that's all that matters now
The only thing that is important to me


Holding on to memories
I am clinging to past experiences


And it's hurt me more than you know
It has caused me profound pain


So much more than it shows
Though it may not be apparent


All at once I looked around and found that you were
Suddenly and shockingly, I realized that you were


With another love
In a relationship with someone else


In someone else's arms
Being held and embraced by another person


And all my dreams were shattered all at once
All my hopes and expectations have been destroyed


All at once the smile that used to greet me
Suddenly and without warning, the smile that once welcomed me


Brightened someone else's day
Brought joy and happiness to another person


She took your smile away
She was the one who caused you to smile and be happy


And left me with just memories all at once
I am left with only memories of you and our time together




Lyrics © MUSIC SALES CORPORATION, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Jeffrey L. Osborne, Michael William Masser

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@fabiocasa843

All at once
I finally took a moment
And I'm realizing that
You're not coming back
And it finally hit me
All at once
All at once
I started counting teardrops
And at least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were
Shattered all at once
Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all that matters now
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
All at once
I looked around and found
That you were with another love
In someone else's arms
And all my dreams were shattered
All at once
All at once
The smile that used to greet me
Brightened someone else's day
She took your smile away
And left me with just memories
All at once
Ever since I met you
You're the only love I've known
And I can't forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And that's all the matters now
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely-sea
Holding on to memories
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And it hurts me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
And that's all the matters now
All at once
I'm drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you'd come back to me
And it hurts me more than you know
All at once



All comments from YouTube:

@kevinboykins

Who else agrees Withney was the best vocalist ever

@ejm1624

100% hands down, will never witness another

@heatherlee8827

Whitney is and will always be the queen...

In terms of power and ability, I think Celine Dion, and maybe "old school" Mariah Carey are the only ones that even come close to comparing. But not quite...

@victor1978100

Only 26 agreed. Maybe it's because only 26 read the comment.

@johnvanhal2450

Technically, Mariah is better. And there are or were many, many equals. Take for instance all the famous jazz singers the USA have spawned, and the woman who did a Whitney song at AGT. And maybe singers who don't reach that high note, but produce lower notes that Whitney couldn't.

@mariellencressman9624

YES.

28 More Replies...

@gchata

Honestly, one of her most under appreciated songs.

@xana5649

My favorite song

@only1r.g.b

​@@xana5649same😊

@soapqueen100

i love it too.\

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