[originally posted March 2016]

I have always liked this song, with its’ off-beat style. And I use “off-beat” not just as a saying, but because it was recorded ‘off-beat’. Brian Eno, a composer and producer (also a member of the band Roxy Music), had some of the members of Talking Heads start the song on the ‘1’ beat (as normal) and the rest started on the ‘3’ beat, giving the song “a funny balance within it. It has really two centers of gravity: their ‘1’ and my ‘1’.'”

Once In A Lifetime “was named one of the 100 most important American musical works of the 20th century by National Public Radio and is also included in The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame’s 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll.”  Does that seem surprising to you? It does to me. I always viewed this tune as a simple, fun song to do the Egyptian dance to, never having been aware of its’ importance.

I remember it mostly from Much Music, who played the video often. Which is odd, because Much Music didn’t come on the scene until late 1984, and this song was recorded in 1980, released in 1981 as the first single on Talking Head’s 4th album, Remain In Light. The video I am including in this post is the full-length version of the song, a full minute longer than the promoted version you will find elsewhere on YouTube. You can read more about the song here.

Having just turned 65 today, I have chosen this tune as my song of the day: Once In A Lifetime, Same As It Ever Was.

Enjoy.

Once In A Lifetime

Talking Heads

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 at the bottom of the ocean
Remove the water at the bottom of the ocean

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

And you may ask yourself
What is that beautiful house?
And 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 is an asterisk

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…

Yeah, the twister comes
Here comes the twister
Same as it ever was…

Songwriters
BYRNE, DAVID/FRANTZ, CHRISTOPHER/WEYMOUTH, TINA/HARRISON, JERRY/ENO, BRIAN PETER GEORGE

Published by
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group

Live Long And Prosper