“Just Once A Year” is the 2023 holiday single by Cold Holiday.
I’ve been taught so many lessons, all around the holidays
About how time goes by so quickly, they sounded like cliches
But the skeptic in me faded when I got to be my age
That’s how it goes now
I used to be the kid opening presents at light speed
Now I’m slowly wrapping everything that’s set under the tree
And the empty seats at parties are the ones I can’t unsee
That’s how it goes now
This time comes just once a year
In time, it will disappear
For better or worse, this will all be done
It can take a while to realize it won’t last long
This time comes just once a year
Every year I hang an ornament from 1982
That I made when I was sitting with my best friends back in school
I’ve been meaning to reach out to them, I’m really overdue
That’s how it goes now
Nobody ever fell out and nobody fell apart, but
Everybody gets so busy, sometimes reaching out is hard
When there are bills to pay and cats to feed and kids out in the yard
That’s how it goes now
This time comes just once a year
In time, it will disappear
For better or worse, this will all be done
It can take a while to realize it won’t last long
This time comes just once a year
Just once a year
Or maybe it’s the season that you wish you could refuse
When the dinner table’s trapped you, and you’re feeling so confused
While you’re listening to your uncle flipping out about the news
That’s how it goes now
If a miracle’s not coming, or if it’s somewhere down the road
And the signs are hard to read but they’re trying to let you know, that
You can take it in or turn it off and let it all go
This time comes just once a year
In time, it will disappear
For better or worse, this will all be done
It can take a while to realize it won’t last long
This time comes just once a year
This time comes just once a year
Words and music by Brady Carlson.
Recorded, performed, produced and mixed by Cold Holiday.
Special thanks to WKC for playing recorder.
© 2023 Cold Holiday. All rights reserved.
Cover photo by Ruvim Miksanskiy via Pexels