All at Once
Bear Ghost Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴Shadows endlessly deepening
So much for bravery
Fear is overtaking
At the sounds of creeps
And creatures beneath me
Holding your eyes shut wont do a thing

One by one they're advancing

What choice is left but
Standing up against them
With parades of plastic, stuffing and fabric
Sound the alarms
We'll hold them 'til dawn

All At Once
We will run them from our shores
We will rise
No more sleepless nights in horror
We won't see this evil defeat us
March with me we're off to war
We'll stand our ground and we'll fight
We'll take back the night

How can this still be happening?
The things I've seen
No one would believe me
Years of holding back relentless attacking
Have left me on my own
I know I've got to try

I've spent my whole life saying
That it's all in my head
I'm afraid they're very real
The monsters under your bed
And I've tried so hard to stop them
As they come from the depths
I know it sounds completely crazy
But you're all I've got left

All At Once (grab your guns)
We will run them from our shores
We will rise (hear our cries)
No more sleepless nights in horror
We won't see this evil defeat us
March with me we're off to war
We'll stand our ground and we'll fight
We'll take back the night

You laugh but you don't have a clue
You have to believe this is true

All At Once, if you must, cast your stones and write me off
But if you lock me up, it sure wont help at all
They'll come again, it wont end, there'll be no one to defend you
If I'm stuck inside a cell when darkness falls

Please! Don't leave me here in these chains! Set me free!
You don't understand, they're on their way!
I can't protect you from here
Don't you see? This is the end. (Good god!)
The sounds of their screams as it's all falling down
Their monstrous footsteps quake the ground

I hear humanity fall
And I plead, forgive me I've failed you.


Overall Meaning

The song "All at Once" by Bear Ghost is about facing one's fears and fighting against the evil that is lurking beneath the surface. The lyrics describe the singer feeling trapped and unable to escape from the shadowy creatures and monsters that surround them. The feelings of dread and terror are palpable throughout the song, with the character holding onto the hope of facing their fears head-on with courage.


The first verse of the song depicts the singer feeling overwhelmed and helpless in the face of their fears. The second verse describes the character's internal struggle as they try to reconcile their beliefs about the monsters under the bed with the reality of their existence. The chorus is a rallying cry to take action and fight back against the evil that threatens to overtake them.


The final verse of the song is a plea for help, with the singer realizing that they cannot face the monsters alone, and that they need the support of others in order to overcome their fears. The song is ultimately about confronting one's fears, and finding the inner strength to fight against the darkness that surrounds us.


Line by Line Meaning

Shadows endlessly deepening
The dark and eerie atmosphere is getting more intense and intimidating


So much for bravery
Despite being brave earlier, the situation is too scary to stay brave for long


Fear is overtaking
To the point where fear has taken over from courage


At the sounds of creeps
The slightest sound is enough to cause alarm and paranoia


And creatures beneath me
The source of the sounds seem to be from creatures lurking below


Holding your eyes shut wont do a thing
Closing your eyes won't make the frightening situation disappear


One by one they're advancing
The monsters or creatures are slowly but surely getting closer


What choice is left but
There seems to be no other option available


Standing up against them
To confront the creatures and face them head on


With parades of plastic, stuffing and fabric
Referring to toys, as one would do when fighting off imaginary monsters


Sound the alarms
To get everyone alerted and prepared for the impending battle


We'll hold them 'til dawn
To persevere and fight off the creatures until the morning


All At Once
Together, united, and immediately


We will run them from our shores
Banish the monsters and rid ourselves of the fear they bring


We will rise
To feel empowered, no longer scared or defeated


No more sleepless nights in horror
Without the threat of the monsters or creatures disturbing our peace


We won't see this evil defeat us
To not let the monsters win and take over our lives


March with me we're off to war
Come with me to fight this battle, no one left behind


We'll stand our ground and we'll fight
To be brave, determined, and take a stand


We'll take back the night
To regain control and power over the darkness and fear


How can this still be happening?
To question why this is still a problem after all this time


The things I've seen
Referring to past experiences with the creatures that others wouldn't believe


No one would believe me
Others dismiss the problem as unreal, even if they've been through it too


Years of holding back relentless attacking
The monsters have been attacking for an extended period without resistance


Have left me on my own
Feeling isolated and alone in the fight


I know I've got to try
Despite the odds stacked against me, I have to attempt to fight


I've spent my whole life saying
For years, I've been trying to convince myself that it's not real


That it's all in my head
To believe that the problem is just a figment of the imagination


I'm afraid they're very real
Coming to terms with the fact that this is not just in their head


The monsters under your bed
Referring to the monsters that children fear most


And I've tried so hard to stop them
Doing everything possible to rid oneself of the creatures


As they come from the depths
Coming from the darkness and the unknown


I know it sounds completely crazy
Acknowledging how insane the situation sounds


But you're all I've got left
Clutching onto hope that someone, anyone, believes and is willing to help


You laugh but you don't have a clue
Others doubting the situation, making jest of it, while unaware of the true danger


You have to believe this is true
Imploring others to trust that this is an actual problem


if you must, cast your stones and write me off
To dismiss me, judge me, criticize me, but don't forget the danger is still real


But if you lock me up, it sure wont help at all
Detaining me won't solve the problem, it still persists


They'll come again, it wont end, there'll be no one to defend you
The monsters will always come back, and there's no one left to protect you


If I'm stuck inside a cell when darkness falls
Being trapped in jail during nightfall means being helpless and unprotected from the monsters


Please! Don't leave me here in these chains! Set me free!
Begging to be released from captivity to fight the monster threat


Don't you see? This is the end. (Good god!)
Realizing that the worst is coming, and it may be too late


The sounds of their screams as it's all falling down
The haunting sounds of the monsters causing destruction


Their monstrous footsteps quake the ground
The powerful and intimidating steps of the monsters


I hear humanity fall
The implication of the creatures winning means the end of the human race


And I plead, forgive me I've failed you.
Owning up to the failure of the mission to protect others from the monsters


Contributed by Charlie E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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