How Long (aka How Long Will It Take)
Featuring
Producers
How Long (aka How Long Will It Take) Lyrics
Didn't work out the way I thought
I must have mistaken myself
For someone I was not (oh, no)
So I pushed myself to see how far I could go
Didn't need to look that far
To learn what I needed to know
[Pre-Chorus 1: Paula Toledo with Jonathan Anderson]
Didn't want to be a quitter
But I had to find my way
[Chorus: Paula Toledo and Jonathan Anderson]
How long? (How long)
Will it take, oh-oh
How long? (How long)
Will it take me to feel?
How long? (How long)
Will it take, oh-oh
How long until it's the way I thought it would be?
When I won't aim to please
[Verse 2: Paula Toledo]
And you watched me draw the line
Never to be cast again
In the same light (oh, no)
And I don't blame you, they were choices I made
Didn't want to let you down
But I can't play it that safe
In your mind am I a sinner?
Looking for relief?
[Chorus: Paula Toledo and Jonathan Anderson]
How long? (How long)
Will it take, oh-oh
How long? (How long)
Will it take me to feel?
How long? (How long)
Will it take, oh-oh
How long until it's the way I thought it would be?
When I won't aim to please
When I won't aim to please
When I won't aim to please
[Bridge]
No, I won't be a doll in your pretty dollhouse
No, I won't be the plaything that you can toss around
No, I won't be the child who lives for acceptance
No, I won't any longer live in my reflection
[Chorus: Paula Toledo and Jonathan Anderson]
How long?
Will it take, oh-oh
How long?
Will it take me to feel?
How long?
Will it take, oh-oh
How long?
Will it take me to feel?
Will it take, oh-oh
How long? (How long)
Will it take me to feel?
How long? (How long)
Will it take, oh-oh
How long until it's the way I thought it would be?
When I won't aim to please
When I won't aim to please
When I won't aim to please
About
Paula Toledo’s “How Long,” was a sixteen-year mystery that wasn’t fully discovered until December 8, 2023. The track features her ex co-producer, Johnathan Anderson.
On December 9, 2023, Paula would respond to the unearthing and popularity of the track in a YouTube video. In the same video, she explained the meaning of the song:
Its a song that’s really a statement about how a person can feel when they’re very disconnected from who they’re truly meant to be, and how living in somebody else’s shadow in terms of like, what they expect of you, or trying to please other people for the wrong reasons, and not really trying to please yourself can be really damaging.
The track first appeared on a Ukranian-forum in 2007, where listeners inquired of the song.
The search eventually became popular with the release of two snippets around October 24, 2023—which featured pretty lengthy snippets from bootleg DVD’s, which can be viewed here, and here.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
