[1998-2000]
In 1998 Herman brought up the idea to start recording again, this time with Lars on vocals. Being a bit reluctant at first, Robert soon changed his mind when he heard the first results of Lars singing their songs. During the following year the guys worked on a bunch of songs in Lars' Krater studio. Four songs made it to the mixing stage in summer of 1999. Only now, Lars became busy with other projects and suggested that the band should temporarily be put on hold for the time being.
[2002-2007]
Getting tired of waiting, Herman and Robert, recorded the basic tracks for 8 new songs and decided to look for a new vocalist. Once again, Lars was asked to help out, this time as a recording engineer. Lars invited the band to his studio for a drum recording session. Luckily, when Lars heard the new material, it didn't take long before he expressed his desire to sing with the band again.
Once In A Lifetime
Work of Art Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I fell straight into her arms
I never felt that way before
Now I fall apart
I am falling into pieces
I wished I never loved at all
There she was
And I get lost in thoughts that was way out of line
I wish I'd been
Just a little bit wiser
With one million reasons to stay
I am moving one million light years away
I knew I'd regret it
Yet I choose to fall
Leaving makes no sense at all
It happens once in a lifetime
One time only
And I slowly watch it disappear
I close my eyes
And every second I can't see you
Feels like one million years
Here you are
With a body to die for
And I get lost in thoughts that are way out of line
I wish I'd been
Just a little bit wiser
With one million reasons to stay
I am moving one million light years away
I knew I'd regret it
Yet I choose to fall
Leaving makes no sense at all
Got to go, got to run
I got to leave
It's so damn frustrating
I can't believe it's true
For once in my life
Everything seemed just right
You would forget me
And I would be replaced
I'm dying here
If I searched my whole life through
I would never find someone like you
With one million reasons to stay
I am moving one million light years away
I knew I'd regret it
Yet I choose to fall
Leaving makes no sense at all
With one million reasons to stay
I am moving one million light years away
I knew I'd regret it
Yet I choose to fall
Leaving makes no sense at all
The song "Once in a Lifetime" by the Swedish band Work of Art speaks about the bittersweet feeling of falling in love with someone who is not a right fit or cannot be with you due to certain reasons. The song portrays the mixed feeling of love and the heartbreak that comes with it. The lyrics detail how the singer fell in love with a woman who he describes as having "a body to die for" and how his love for her seems to have left him falling apart. He regrets falling in love with her and wishes he was "just a little bit wiser." Despite having "one million reasons to stay," he decides to move away, feeling that leaving his love makes no sense at all. The chorus highlights how falling for someone like her only happens once in a lifetime and every moment away from her feels like a million years.
The songwriter uses metaphor to describe the feeling of falling in love. The singer almost feels like he has fallen into pieces and believes he should have known better. The one million reasons to stay, probably indicating several attempts he might have made to convince this woman to be with him, show his desperation and how much he values his love. The line "one time only" further reinforces how the singer believes that he has found love that might not happen again. The chorus "It happens once in a lifetime, one time only, and I slowly watch it disappear. I close my eyes, and every second I can't see you feels like one million years" portrays the pain of loss and the feeling that it might never happen again.
Overall, the song is emotionally charged and portrays the universal theme of love and the heartbreak that comes with it. It highlights how some people are meant to exist only for a moment while others are lucky enough to find their "happily ever after."
Line by Line Meaning
I fell in love
I developed strong feelings of romantic love for someone
I fell straight into her arms
I quickly became emotionally attached to her and depended on her for comfort
I never felt that way before
I had never experienced such intense emotions with anyone else
Now I fall apart
My emotional state is deteriorating without her
I am falling into pieces
My emotions and mental state are breaking apart
I wished I never loved at all
I regret having loved her and wish I never developed feelings for her
There she was
I saw her in front of me
With a body to die for
She had an attractive physique
And I get lost in thoughts that was way out of line
I had inappropriate thoughts about her that were not acceptable
I wish I'd been
I regret not having the wisdom to make better choices
Just a little bit wiser
I wish I had more knowledge or experience to handle the situation better
With one million reasons to stay
I had many compelling reasons to continue the relationship
I am moving one million light years away
I am putting the relationship behind me and moving on
I knew I'd regret it
I was aware that my decision would cause me remorse
Yet I choose to fall
Despite knowing the consequences, I still pursued the relationship
Leaving makes no sense at all
Ending the relationship seems pointless and irrational
It happens once in a lifetime
Meeting someone special like her only happens once in a lifetime
One time only
There is only one opportunity for me to experience this type of love
And I slowly watch it disappear
I see the relationship fading away over time
I close my eyes
I try to shut out the painful reality of the situation
And every second I can't see you
When I am not with her, every moment feels unbearable
Feels like one million years
Time feels impossibly slow and drawn-out without her
Here you are
She is in front of me again
Got to go, got to run
I need to leave quickly
I got to leave
I must go and cannot stay any longer
It's so damn frustrating
The situation is incredibly aggravating and annoying
I can't believe it's true
I cannot come to terms with the reality of the situation
For once in my life
This is the only time in my life
Everything seemed just right
The situation felt perfect and ideal
You would forget me
She would no longer remember me
And I would be replaced
She would move on and find someone else
I'm dying here
I feel like I am slowly losing my life without her
If I searched my whole life through
Even if I spent my entire life looking
I would never find someone like you
I could never find another person like her
Contributed by Natalie M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.