About The Song
“All at Once” is a song by American singer Whitney Houston from her self-titled debut album. The song was released in March 1985 by Arista Records as a single in several European countries, as well as in Japan in 1985–1986. It was not released as a single in North America, but did receive steady radio airplay on Pop and R&B/soul stations there. It is a ballad about a love who leaves without warning and the heartbreak that is felt afterwards. It is written by Michael Masser and Jeffrey Osborne and produced by Masser.
Arista released a promotional music video exclusive to Germany and Japan. Another video was released for some European countries. It features Houston singing the song onstage.
It became the first hit for Houston in the Netherlands in April 1985, and also a Top 5 hit on Italy and Belgium singles chart.
Houston performed the song on Dutch TV’s PopsJops show, German TV’s Peter’s Popshow in 1985, and Japan TV show Night’s Hit Studio in 1986. The following year, Houston performed the song at the 1987 American Music Awards as well as Italy’s Sanremo Music Festival. In this latter competition an encore of the song was requested, and Houston is the first and, so far, only singer to get it. Houston also performed the song in Japan and Europe during her Greatest Love Tour in 1986.
Video
Lyrics
All at once
I finally took a moment
And I’m realizing that
You’re not coming back
And it’s finally hit me all at once
All at once I’ve started counting teardrops
And at least a million fell
My eyes began to swell
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
Ever since I met you
You’re the only love I’ve known
And I can’t forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you’d come back to me
And that’s all that matters now
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it’s hurt me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
All at once I looked around and found that you were
With another love
In someone else’s arms
And all my dreams were shattered all at once
All at once the smile that used to greet me
Brightened someone else’s day
She took your smile away
And left me with just memories all at once
Ever since I met you
You’re the only love I’ve known
And I can’t forget you
Though I must face it all alone
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you’d come back to me
And that’s all that matters now
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Holding on to memories
And it’s hurt me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you’d come back to me
And it’s hurt me more than you know
So much more than it shows
All at once
And that’s all that matters now
All at once I’m drifting on a lonely sea
Wishing you’d come back to me
And it’s hurt me more than you know
So much more