“Once in a Lifetime” blends existentialism with consumer culture to tackle topics like coming of age and imposter syndrome.
Bear Witness
Fans were introduced to “Once in a Lifetime” in 1980 as the first track on “Remain in Light.” Vocalist David Byrne alternates between singing and speaking his largely improvised lyrics. The structure of the verses may be seen as an imitation of a Pentecostal sermon, a style that had seen a revival around the time:
“And you may find yourself 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, with a beautiful wife / And you may ask yourself, ‘Well, how did I get here?'”
He uses repeated phrases to generate a sense of frenzy akin to a religious experience, at the same time inciting relatable real-life scenarios. This is what brings it home to listeners from all walks of life who are at different points in their journeys. No matter who you are, where you come from or where you’ve gotten to now, it’s easy to lose track of all that’s happened and why you’re there in the first place.
Toni Basil, of “Mickey” fame, arranged the choreography to include seizure-like movements, which some have interpreted as an allusion to spiritual visions. This adds further depth to the sermon structure of the verses and overall existential themes.
What it essentially boils down to is that some people work hard all their lives and do everything they’re supposed to do, but they still never end up in their dream house with the life they want. Others are handed everything and simply get lucky, having been dealt a good hand in life. And yet, both types of people deal with inner strife.
The Many Shapes of Water
The chorus uses water to great effect:
“Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down / Letting the days go by, water flowing underground / Into the blue again after the money’s gone / Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground”
Water can symbolize many things, including truth and life. In this song, the narrator is held down by water, but it also flows beneath the surface. This implies that one has to dig deep to reach it. The main character also flows with the water until it joins with a larger body.
Flowing water can refer to time passing as well as erosion. Water can wear away even the toughest stones over time. The third verse also alludes to the fruitlessness of trying to remove the water from the bottom of the ocean.
Those who never achieve their dreams feel that they’re always reaching but never quite there. They might blame this on various distractions or illusions they’ve bought into. Slowly but surely, many people become more diluted and disenfranchised as they grow older, only to be left with a harsh reality check once the bank account is empty.
The Specter of Self-Doubt
Byrne highlights imposter syndrome in the second verse:
“And you may ask yourself, ‘How do I work this?’ / And you may ask yourself, ‘Where is that large automobile?’ / And you may tell yourself, ‘This is not my beautiful house’ / And you may tell yourself, ‘This is not my beautiful wife'”
There are things you can control in life and things you can’t. Life is full of obstacles that may sometimes feel overwhelming, held down from the weight of responsibilities and emotions to the harsh realities of life, existence and mortality.
In the bridge, the line becomes self-referential as he repeats it a total of eight times: “Same as it ever was.” No matter how exciting you are, life has no shortage of monotony and boring parts.
Shattering the Fourth Wall
By the fourth verse, David Byrne sings directly to the listener:
“You may ask yourself, ‘What is that beautiful house?’ / You may ask yourself, ‘Where does that highway go to?’ / And you may ask yourself, ‘Am I right? Am I wrong?’ / And you may say to yourself, ‘My God! What have I done?'”
The narrator asks listeners to consider honestly whether they worked for what they have in their lives or if it was just handed to them.
Lyrics
And you may find yourself 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, with a beautiful wife
And you may ask yourself, “Well, how did I get here?”
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
And you may ask yourself, “How do I work this?”
And you may ask yourself, “Where is that large automobile?”
And you may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful house”
And you may tell yourself, “This is not my beautiful wife”
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Water dissolving and water removing
There is water at the bottom of the ocean
Under the water, carry the water
Remove the water from the bottom of the ocean
Water dissolving and water removing
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Leting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
You may ask yourself, “What is that beautiful house?”
You may ask yourself, “Where does that highway go to?”
And you may ask yourself, “Am I right, am I wrong?”
And you may say to yourself, “My God, what have I done?”
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, into the silent water
Under the rocks and stones, there is water underground
Letting the days go by, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Into the blue again, after the money’s gone
Once in a lifetime, water flowing underground
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, look where my hand was
Time isn’t holding up, time isn’t after us
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was
Same as it ever was, same as it ever was (I couldn’t get no rest)
Same as it ever was, hey let’s all twist our thumbs
Here comes the twister
Letting the days go by (same as it ever was, same as it ever was)
Letting the days go by (same as it ever was, same as it ever was)
Once in a lifetime, let the water hold me down
Letting the days go by, water flowing underground
Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: Walter Afanasieff / Diane Warren / Michael Bolton
Once in a Lifetime lyrics © Wb Music Corp., Mca Music Ltd., E.g. Music Ltd., Index Music Inc., Universal/mca Music Ltd., Mr. Bolton’s Music, Universal Music Mgb Ltd., Status One Music, Index Music, Inc.
