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Once Lyrics

Want you to know
That I could go anytime
I want you to know

Gave me her lips
Gave me her perfect hips
And I slow down
I slow down in love

Once I rise inside

CHORUS:
Once she would hold me
She was my only
Only true love
Once she had told me
That I'm holy
Only so long

She'll stay all night
She'll be so quiet
And she won't laugh at my jokes

Once I rise inside

(CHORUS) x2
12 Meanings

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Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

It's obviously about frogs.

lol man....you made me laugh at that comment...i laughed all day, no jokes

Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

But what does it mean by "I could go anytime"?

A lot of it is past tense. The past tense seems to be positive whereas the present/future tense is neutral. For example:

Past tense: Gave me her "perfect" hips Once she would hold me/told me that I'm holy (once, as in "once upon a time") She was my only , only true love.

Present/future tense: I want you to know that I could go anytime (i.e. leave the relationship). I slow down in love (not sure of context here - good or bad?) She'll be so quiet and she won't laugh at my jokes (i.e. there is no intellectual connection).

The best explanation for me is he is not committed to his current (perhaps purely physical) relationship, because he is thinking about his past "only true love".

My Interpretation
Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

The song is about the girl he is with now who he does not love and he thinks about the other girl that he loves when he is with his present girl.

the first verse is in present tense, he is telling his girlfriend that he will leave her anytime and he wants her to know that.

the second verse is in past tense where he is thinkin about the girl he actually loves.

the chorus again is in past tense and he is describing his true love

the last verse is in past tense, he says his girlfriend will stay with him all night but wont talk ( or moan if they are having sex) and she wont laugh at his jokes.

Both of them are not interested in each other. purely physical.

Prettty obvious yes??

Song Meaning
Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

Actually the last two lines of the chorus are incorrect. It seems all the lyric engines online have it this way too. Above it says:

"That I'm holy Only so long"

Steven is actually saying:

"Cannot hold me Hold me so long"

I thought the lyrics posted here were right until I saw the Blackfield Live in NYC DVD the other day. Check it out on youtube. You can make the lyrics out more clearly for this part on the live version.

DJ

Lyric Correction
Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

Oops! Correction again. On the CD the lyrics for the chorus are:

Once she would hold me She was my only Only to love Once she had told me Better hold me Hold me so long

He changed the second to the last line on the live version to "Cannot hold me". Exact opposite. Love it when Steven mixes it up live. He kinda did the same thing on "Even Less Live" on Arriving Somewhere in Porcupine Tree.

DJ

Lyric Correction
Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

Great blissful little song, love the swangy guitar intro and the jittering drumming.

Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

This song is great...So simple & sweet...Reminds me of high school...Weird, but it makes me smile...

Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

The whole thing sound like sex to me.

Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

The perfect song, and yes, I think it is about sex too...

Cover art for Once lyrics by Blackfield

acidmilk, I like the way you think dude. Once I rise inside, it's about making love and the moments afterwards.... sometimes you don't know who you're making love to anymore.. at least I've done that.

My Opinion
 
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