What Does "Only You" Mean For 'Once Upon A Time'?

It's hard to believe that we're only two episodes into Once Upon A Time Season 5, especially considering how much has happened already. We've been to Storybrooke to Camelot and back again (and on and on), dealt with the new Dark Swan completely succumbing to her new role, Regina stepping up as the hero, and Henry getting his first crush in the form of Violet, whom he meets at a Camelot ball. It's that last part we need to talk about today, because something big happened with Henry and Violet that I think is important not just for their new puppy love, but for everyone else, too — particularly his two moms. I'm talking about the heavy use of Yazoo's "Only You", a track which played on multiple occasions throughout "The Price" and which means a lot for the rest of the season.

If you watched the episode, you know exactly the song I'm talking about — you couldn't have missed it. While in Camelot, Henry plays it on his iPod to impress Violet upon their first meeting in Camelot. Later, back in Storybrooke with their memories of ever having met erased by Emma's dark curse, Henry again chooses the song on the jukebox in Granny's, where he meets Violet for the first time again. The music swells around the teens while a montage shows Snow and Charming talking about saving Emma, who's standing alone outside watching everyone and looking all dejected because in her darkness, she's pushed the people she loves and who love her away.

Given that everything on Once is painstakingly decided upon down to the very last detail, I refuse to believe that "Only You" has no deeper meaning and that a 15-year-old boy in 2015 is just super into obscure '80s music and keeps it on his iPod. No, the track means something, and we only need to have a deeper look at the lyrics to make a guess at what that meaning is. I could be completely off-base, but I've spent way too much time thinking about it, and I'm pretty sure I've got it figured out.

Looking from a window aboveIt's like a story of loveCan you hear me?Came back only yesterdayI'm moving farther awayWant you near me

Emma was standing outside watching her family live life without her, and she's completely alone. They just came back from Camelot and Emma is nothing like the Emma they remembered — she's the full blown Dark One now, but they don't know why since she's taken their memory. While she's embraced evil for now, it's clear that Emma doesn't really want to be separated from the people she loves, but she doesn't know how to stop herself at this point because things have gone way too far.

Sometimes when I think of her nameWhen it's only a gameAnd I need youListen to the words that you sayIt's getting harder to stayWhen I see you

Assuming this song is from Emma's perspective — and as the Dark Swan, she's the central narrative figure, at least for the immediate future, besides Regina — we have to wonder who "her" is. My guess is Regina, who's now stepped up to be the new Savior in Emma's stead. It used to be a game with them, back when they were enemies and constantly trying to outdo each other. The stakes weren't as high. Now it's serious, and she needs Regina to step up and be the Savior she so desperately wants to be. Emma needs Regina to save her, but something happened in Camelot between them that we need to know about, and something tells me Regina messed up big time in Emma's eyes, hence the reason things have become so messy.

All I needed was the love you gaveAll I needed for another dayAnd all I ever knewOnly youAll I needed was the love you gaveAll I needed for another dayAnd all I ever knewOnly you

This line is likely a reference to Emma needing love from Hook, although he's been trying to give her love since they first went to Camelot and it's amounted to nothing. No amount of Hook's love could save Emma from going completely dark, and even what Hook thought was True Love's Kiss couldn't break the Dark One's spell. Thus, it's equally likely that the love referenced in the song isn't just romantic, but could also be familial (Henry, Snow, Charming) and platonic (Regina) as well. Maybe Emma needs all three to be saved.

On top of that, it all goes back to her being desperate for Regina to step up and do what needs to be done. The scene in "The Price" of Emma telling Regina that she doesn't have it in her isn't because she doesn't believe Regina can, but because she's trying to goad Regina into believing herself that she can do it. Emma's depending on it, because Regina is the only one that can save her, just like she asked her in the season premiere.

This is going to take a long timeAnd I wonder what's mineCan't take no more (can't take no more)Wonder if you'll understandIt's just the touch of your handBehind a closed door

It's going to take a long time to vanquish the Dark One for good — at least the first half of the season, but likely longer. Emma likely wonders how much her family (and that includes Regina, Hook, etc.) still belongs to her after all she's done and will likely do further down the line. She can't take any more of being who she is, but if Regina can just figure out what Emma's trying to tell her without words and step up and believe in herself — and believe in Emma — everything will be okay.

At least that's what I think.

Image: ABC