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"Once in a Lifetime" is a song by the American new wave band Talking Heads. It was released in January 1981 through Sire Records as the first single from Talking Heads' fourth studio album, Remain in Light (1980).

The song was heard in the first trailer for Disney's 2012 animated feature film Wreck-It Ralph, and later heard in Pixar's Elio, when Elio Solis was waiting for aliens to abduct him until he starts falling asleep. It was also performed by Kermit the Frog in episode 109 of Muppets Tonight.

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


v - e - d
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Media
Films: Elio (video/soundtrack)

Video Games: Disney Emoji BlitzDisney Solitaire
Books: The Art of Elio

Characters
Elio SolisOlga SolisOooooAmbassador QuestaLord GrigonGlordonAmbassador HelixAmbassador TegmenAmbassador TuraisAmbassador MiraAmbassador AuvaAmbassador NaosGunther MelmacBryceCalebUniversal User's ManualHylurgians
Locations
The Solis ResidenceCamp CarverMontez Middle SchoolMontez Air Force BaseCommuniverse
Objects
Pixar BallA113Pizza Planet Truck