Once upon a year gone by
She saw herself give in
Every time she closed her eyes
She saw what could have been

Well nothing hurts and nothing bleeds
When covers tucked in tight
Finally when the bottom drops
She forgets to fight
To fight

And it's one more day in paradise
One more day in paradise

As darkness quickly steals the light
That's shined within her eyes
She slowly swallows all her fear
And soothes her mind with lies
Well all she wants and all she needs
Are reasons to survive
A day in which the sun will take her artificial light
Her light

And its one more day in Paradise
One more day in Paradise
One more day in Paradise
It's one more day in Paradise
One last chance to feel alright
Alright

Don't pretend to hold it in just let it out
Don't pretend to hold it in just push it out
Don't you try to hold it in just let it out
Don't you try to hold it in hold it in

One more day in Paradise
One more day in Paradise
It's one more day in Paradise
One last chance to feel alright

Once upon a year gone by
She saw herself give in
Every time she closed her eyes
She saw what could have been


Lyrics submitted by carboncentric

Paradise Lyrics as written by Vanessa Carlton

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Paradise song meanings
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  • +3
    Song Meaning

    I definitely think this song is about depression. "Once upon a year gone by she saw herself give in every time she closed her eyes she saw what could have been" The girl is thinking about when she first gave in to depression and saying how she sees what her life could have been if she hadn't when she closes her eyes.

    "Well nothing hurts and nothing bleeds" "When covers tucked in tight." Depression isn't a physical pain. And when she is asleep she is okay. When the covers tucked in tight is a reference to being asleep. There is no pain or blood then. "Finally when the bottom drops she forgets to fight." The bottom dropping is her waking up and having to face her depression again. When shes asleep she isn't depressed. But when she wakes up she is and she doesn't or can''t fight it.

    "As darkness quickly steals the light That's shined within her eyes"

    The darkness is the depression.

    "She slowly swallows all her fear And soothes her mind with lies"

    She tells herself lies to try to ease the fear caused by the depression.

    "Well all she wants and all she needs Are reasons to survive" Depressed people often don't feel like they have a reason to be alive. They need to find a reason to help them get better and live.

    "A day in which the sun will take her artificial light Her light" The artificial light here is anti-depressents. She is saying that when she gets a reason to live she won't need the anti-depressents. She will be able to go on without them.

    "Don't pretend to hold it in just let it out don't pretend to hold it in just push it out" Saying don't hold in all that's bothering you. She has to let it out. People with depression often "bottle things up" instead of talking about them or relieving the emotion and feeling in a positive healthy way. She is saying that she needs to let these things out.

    Paradise could be the sleeping or it could be refering to her last day in the hospital. In the hospital she is safe but once she leaves she will have to face the real world again and that can make things difficult so the last day in the hospital is paradise. Either way it's not about abuse. It's about depression.

    FragilGirlon July 08, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I love the irony in this song. You can really hear it in her voice when she sings the chorus, because she emphasizes the words and drags them out a certain way. It makes you hate this "paradise."

    Rosaline23on May 20, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    i think shes say that the grass is'nt always greener...just becoz someones life may look liike "paradise" on the surface ....it does'nt mean that it is

    Ronion June 09, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    This song fits my life in so manny ways but heres what it means to me: She started imaging a paradise for herself that makes her feel happy, but then facing the world seems so difficult and she has a hard time. And then with the darkness part is about how she's not really living a real life anymore. She is pretending to hold in her happiness but really she's not happy at all. Then looking back she sees all the things that could have been if she hadn't been living in her paradise.

    Deep101on September 08, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    love for this song

    xglassjawxon May 31, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i dont really understand this song too well...ne one wanna help me out here???

    jessielynn74on June 03, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Wow...this song is amazing...I agree with Roni...Im not really sure if thats right but-its a great song anyways.

    sierra80on June 17, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I absolutely love this song. It reminds me of a story im kinda obsessed about. A woman slowly being destroyed by the people she works for. She's been doing everything right her whole life but the world around her is corrupt and she has her own moral values to protect the innocent which the others don't agree with. She's a warrior but she's still falling apart...until madman saves her...but thats not important! all in all i love this song!!!

    shattered_mugon June 29, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I LOVE this song! I get the chills everytime I hear it! I heard that the song was about abuse but I'm not sure if that's true. Vanessa rocks on the piano!

    MBranchFan4Lifeon July 11, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I totally love this song. I still get chills sometimes! I think it's about how someone's "perfect" life could really be the complete opposite.

    cheerprincesson July 21, 2002   Link

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