Who can say where the road goes?
Where the day flows? Only time
And who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose? Only time

Who can say why your heart sighs
As your love flies? Only time
And who can say why your heart cries
When your love lies? Only time

Who can say when the roads meet?
That love might be in your heart?
And who can say when the day sleeps
If the night keeps all your heart?
Night keeps all your heart

Who can say if your love grows
As your heart chose? Only time
And who can say where the road goes?
Where the day flows? Only time

Who knows? Only time
Who knows? Only time


Lyrics submitted by numb, edited by JDHuntsvilleAL

Only Time Lyrics as written by Nicky Ryan Eith Ni-bhraonain

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Only Time song meanings
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  • +12
    General Comment

    I think this song is saying not to worry about the future, because you can't know what will happen.

    MistressSanon April 25, 2002   Link
  • +7
    General Comment

    It may be the only time you can be in love with her. It may be the only time you will ever see your sick friend at the hospital again. It may be the only time you can cry before cutting yourself to blood and commit suicide. It may be the only time you thought you were going to see your girlfriend back from a foreign place, but her plane suddenly crashes. It may be the only time in your life you will ever have a chance to say "I love you"...

    ryantymeon August 28, 2002   Link
  • +4
    General Comment

    I think it's saying that you will never know what the future holds until it is your past. Time is the greatest test of all challenges and this song simply points out that in time, all our questions will be answered, and only time will tell if we end up happy or sad.

    el_mono_loco17on March 21, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    everything in the world always change . love may be change , who know ....only time.... time do not wait for you but you have to move along with time and time will tell you what the answer of your life......

    natty2215on March 07, 2002   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    it's a very nice song, beautifully sung! enya's songs always touch my heart. i love wild child too!

    tongan_belleon August 26, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I just love this song. It was Mommy Sue's favourite song before she died. She found some sort of comfort in it and understood it in a way that I don't think any of us ever could. It will always be special to me.

    Katydidon May 09, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Beautiful song. I adore Enya. I know alot of people in my town hated this song, and for my best friend's graduation it was actually going to be their graduation song, but she started a huge protest and the like and they switched it to a Green Day song. Bleh.

    I think this songs does/could have alot of meanings. Lyrics and music are something everyone relates to in a different way, just like thoughts, journals, etc. It's a piece of your heart almost, and songs can have so much meaning to someone they could never be able to explain.

    For me it helps me out when I'm sad, like alot of Enya's songs. It's comforting. I may feel lost and unsure of who I am, where I come from, where I belong, etc [some things I really struggle with], but life isn't worth giving up yet, some things just take TIME and only time will give me answers and in the end I am optimistic enough to think everything will be okay.

    lizkaon June 23, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love falling asleep to this song. My whole body relaxes, and I can think of pleasant things. n_n

    Cedahliaon September 10, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I think this song is also about accepting the unforeseeableness that life brings. I never gave much attention to this song but some days ago I listened to this song in a partcular context and It was really the right song at the right moment.

    birba.mozzon August 29, 2008   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    So I'm resurrecting this topic. This past Thursday was the 8th anniversary of a drunk driving accident I was involved in. It happened a month after the 9/11 attacks when this song was very popular. I was 11 years old at the time and when we were hit head on by the drunk driver, Enya's song was the song that was on the radio.

    For years after the accident the only trigger that would put me in an uneasy mood was "Only Time". I should also let you know that the drunk man that hit us died on the scene. My Mom, brother and I were all in the car and could have left my Dad without a family on that rainy day in October. Instead, by some miracle we all came out and have become closer as a family since then. It wasn't until I recently heard this song again (still paining me), that I realized how it paralleled our lives.

    We had no idea what the next day had in store for us. Only time would tell what was to come of us. And thus far I've had no complaints. I'm now 20 years old and a nursing student and contemplating the possibly of making this song my wedding song since it has had such a big impact.

    martinc232on October 24, 2009   Link

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