You all loved him once and not without cause
He fed you through the winter
He led you through the fog
You hid behind his body to be sheltered from the mob
You all loved him once, not without cause

You all loved him once when his glory was unmatched
Your signal when to celebrate was the bugle of his laugh
Oh, when it came time to stand with him
You scattered with the rats
You all loved him once, that time has passed

You all loved him once when the future was opaque
His reassuring visions were the pillars of your faith
Through a thousand false horizons
He could always fly it straight
You all loved him once, that turned to hate

You all loved him once, an uncommon love at that
What you saw as a pedestal was his elevated path
So to satisfy the Philistines
You stabbed him in the back
You all loved him once, imagine that

You all loved him once
You ate out of his hand
He mirrored your confusion
So that you might understand
When your soul was an experiment so he drew a diagram
You all loved him once, it ended bad

You all loved him once and not without cause
He helped carry your baggage when your strength was nearly gone
Though more and more was put on him
He tried his best to take it on
You all loved him once, not without cause
You all loved him once, now he is gone

Copyright: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Writer(s): CONOR M. OBERST