Song of the day #3 - Once in a Lifetime by The Talking Heads
The Version I have linked is the live version from “Stop Making Sense”. I just personally find the live version a lot better. The choreography is amazing and I just love everything about Stop Making Sense (its the best)
This song is about time. Being afraid of not doing what you want and living the same dull life forever. Following the same routine that most people experience, getting a house, getting married, having a family, but how did you get here? Do you deserve to have this? Did you work hard for it?
Asking. What would you do, with your once in a lifetime opportunity?
The verses are structured and spoken as if David Byrne, the lead vocalist, is giving a sermon.
Living in a shotgun shack
And you may find yourself
In another part of the world
And you may find yourself
Behind the wheel of a large automobile
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house
"Well ... how did I get here?"
Maybe you worked hard to get this house, to get this wife, to get this car, but how did it happen? Did you deserve it? How did it happen so fast?
Let the water hold me down
Water flowing underground
Water flowing underground”
Water is symbolic of life, letting it go by. Trying to catch the American dream. letting the days go by while the water holds yourself down, a dream that you may spend forever searching for instead of living. “Into the blue again after the money’s gone” is the dream fading away once all has been spent.
You almost feel like you’re being drowned by day to day life, letting “the water hold me down” insinuates he isn’t struggling, but allowing yourself to be held down.
This is repeated multiple times over. You have all this stuff but where has all this hard work taken you? What have you accomplished, and when will the American Dream happen and lift you off your feet to success and fame and fortune? Same as it ever was…
Sorry for the massively love post, i just love this song sm. Its just great overall. Even without understanding the deeper meaning behind it, you can still enjoy it as a fun, catchy song. I’ve recently been getting more into The Talking Heads recently. I’ve always loved them but only recently gotten deep into trenches of them. Anyways, I hope y’all enjoy!!