This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
It was easier to have fun back when we had nothin'
Nothin' much to manage
Back when we were damaged
Sometimes the freedom we wanted feels so uncool
Just clean the pool
And send the kids to school
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But it turns out
You only get to do it once
I think it's true what they say that the dream is borrowed
You give it back tomorrow
Minus the sorrow
And the pain, she just comes in to break up the daydream
And I felt his waving
To keep from feeling the same thing
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But it turns out
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But we were wrong
You only get to do it once
Nothin' much to manage
Back when we were damaged
Sometimes the freedom we wanted feels so uncool
Just clean the pool
And send the kids to school
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But it turns out
You only get to do it once
I think it's true what they say that the dream is borrowed
You give it back tomorrow
Minus the sorrow
And the pain, she just comes in to break up the daydream
And I felt his waving
To keep from feeling the same thing
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But it turns out
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
You only get to do it once
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
(Once)
But oh, I remember how you used to shine back then
You went down so easy like a glass of wine, my friend
When the dawn came up you felt so inspired to do it again
But we were wrong
You only get to do it once
Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher, edited by goodvibe61
Once Lyrics as written by Liam Gallagher Andrew Wyatt
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Great version of a great song,
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“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Devastating stuff. It just killed me the first time I heard it, and it just gets better and better.
As if the first run through the chorus isn't enough, that second verse is an absolute stunner.
This is an extremely powerful pop record. I have zero problem putting it up there on the same pedestal as some of the other classic Oasis tunes. This one reminds me a great deal of Don't Look Back in Anger.
The emotion shines through here and feels deeply personal, of thoughts of a life scattered with regret and pain. Brilliant.
@goodvibe61 One other thing: the lyric says "her knife edge is waving" and i tried to correct that. <br /> <br /> The song does mentions a knife's edge. No kidding. This one does cut deep.
The song is probably about his relationship with his wife, though my initial thinking was that it was about his relationship with Noel and I think either would be valid in a lot of ways (though I doubt Noel ever went down like a glass of wine...) It's about how the early days of their relationship were easy and magical and over time, the magic fades and the humdrum of every day life, cleaning the pool, sending the kids to school takes over and the past is kind of gone; you only get to do it "once".