From the recording The Bluff
This song was written in 2018. The tune was done first, evoking the feel of bands like Evanesence and Metallica.
A few weeks later I woke up on a Saturday morning with the "Once Were One" chant running through my head.
As with the writing of "To Be Gone", once I started working on the lyrics, the ideas seemed to flow quite quickly and the song was completed in around an hour. From the start it was written to be sung from the perspective of a female.
Lyrics
ONCE WERE ONE
Verse 1
I’m standing there / my heart laid bare
And my love’s showing ………showing;
I stare at you / I know it’s true / coz we are through
And you are going…………going.
Chorus
And we / were once one
Everything was possible, conquer what come may;
But I / made one mistake
You cannot forgive it, I’ve thrown it all away;
Once were one
We once were one
Once were one
Now we’re done.
Verse 2
I take your hand / it’s my last stand
And I am pleading………..pleading;
You stare at me / you cry freely / this cannot be
And you are bleeding………..bleeding.
Chorus
And we / were once one
Everything was possible, conquer what come may;
But I / made one mistake
You cannot forgive it, I’ve thrown it all away;
Once were one
We once were one
Once were one
Now we’re done.
Bridge
He smiled at me from across the room
Cast a spell that was my doom,
He had me at “Hello”
Wish that I had just said “No”;
Ran his hand across my cheek
Heart aflame and could not speak,
Walked off with him that night
Wasn’t strong enough to fight.
Chorus
And we / were once one
Everything was possible, conquer what come may
But I / made one mistake
You cannot forgive it, I’ve thrown it all away;
Once were one
We once were one
Once were one
Now we’re done.