An interpretation of the lyrics of "Once in a Lifetime" by Talking Heads

Taken from the album 'Remain in Light' (1980), the song 'Once In A Lifetime' has become one of Talking Heads' most iconic and popular songs since its initial release, receiving heavy play on radio stations around the world to this day. "Once in a Lifetime" is written by David Byrne, Brian Eno, Chris Frantz, Jerry Harrison, and Tina Weymouth.

Lyrical structure

Talking Heads's lyrics were written by David Byrne. In this case, Byne begins the first stanza with a series of conditional statements, all in the second person, listing a series of differing possibilities as to to where the listener/subject of the song may have ended up in life, a kind of more neurotic and existential rendering of 'How did I get here?'. A "beautiful house" and a "beautiful wife" are mentioned as is "a shotgun shack", providing a kind of awkward overview of the kind of things which could have happened in the subject's life. it soon becomes clear however, that this is not a celebration. Rather, this is a jolting acknowledgement that however one's life has turned out by the time it reaches its midpoint or so, there will always be a sense of disappointment at how things have turned out. The sung choruses as opposed to the spoken verses help to create this sense of awkwardness, of going against the "water flowing". The more rhythmic choruses give the song its melodic appeal, with the lyrics reflecting time's passage rather than angst. Brian Eno also produced it, bringing his sense of 'oblique strategies' as well as unusual time signatures to the song's sound.

Themes

The 'Once in a Lifetime' lyrics revolve primarily around the theme of transience and the fragility of happiness as life goes on, perhaps even the impossibility of ever finding some sense of satisfaction. There are touches of optimism and the liberating effect that the realisation of how precious time is can have on a person. "Into the blue again/after the money's gone" reflects this sense of diving into youthful possibility once more. The 'water flowing' metaphor recurs throughout the song, reflecting its major theme of time passing, creating an imaginary trap for the subject of the song. Although this at first sounds like a metaphor for being trapped in life's flow, things are also the same in the lyrics and opportunity to change them seems limited. However, there is an optimistic sense to the concluding lines. "Time isn't holding us/Time isn't holding us back" urges the listener to escape from the conventional constraints of success, the kind of biography we'd thought we'd have and escape from the trap at the "the bottom of the ocean".