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Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean « See All Songs

Once upon a time, there was an ocean
But now it’s a mountain range
Something unstoppable set into motion
Nothing is different, but everything’s changed

It’s a dead-end job, and you get tired of sittin’
It’s like a nicotine habit
You’re always thinkin’ of quittin’
And I think about quittin’ everyday of the week
When I look out my window, it’s brown and it’s bleak

Outta here
How’m I gonna get outta here?
I’m thinking outta here
When am I gonna get outta here?

And when will I cash in my lottery ticket
And bury my past with my burdens and strife?
I want to shake every limb in the Garden of Eden
And make every lover the love of my life

I figure that once upon a time, I was an ocean
But now I’m a mountain range
Something unstoppable set into motion
Nothing is different, but everything’s changed

Found a room in the heart of the city, down by the bridge
Hot plate and TV and beer in the fridge
But I’m easy, I’m open–that’s my gift
I can flow with the traffic, I can drift with the drift

Home again?
Naw, never going home again
Think about home again?
I never think about home

But then comes a letter from home
The handwriting’s fragile and strange
Something unstoppable set into motion
Nothing is different, but everything’s changed

The light through the stain glass was cobalt and red
And the frayed cuffs and collars
Were mended by halos of golden thread
The choir sang, “Once Upon a Time There Was an Ocean”
And all the old hymns and family names
Came fluttering down leaves of emotion
As nothing is different, but everything’s changed

© 2006 Written by Paul Simon and Brian Eno