"Just This Time©"
Lyrics by M. S. McKenzie | Performed by Songs Across America, Protected by Copyright
~ Associated Territory Links ~
"Just This Time"
Original Song Lyrics: Written by M. S. McKenzie, All Rights Reserved
[Verse 1]
We came here tired, but still came here together
To carry on with all these years in our eyes
Big wheels touched down in the warm trade wind air
Like the islands knew words we could never find
Up on Skyline Drive, the harbor lights were shimmering
Charlotte Amalie stretched out like pearls along the shore
And for a moment in the hush between your kisses
I felt your gentle touch convey, “It’s only you that I adore”
[Chorus]
Just this time…
Can we stop replaying what we did wrong before?
Stop keeping score and guarding every open door
Like a love that’s always on trial…
Just this time…
Can we learn to talk the truth without a fight…
Hold those fragile parts and treat them right
Let kindness stay longer than a moment
If we can just get through this time
I know we can save it this time
Mm-mm…
[Verse 2]
We’ve tried so hard my love
But trying is never enough without doing
And every little misstep only feels like a failure
We say we’re fine, then drift apart inside the silence
Like we forgot what “us” was meant to be…
So we took the ferry and watched the water change to sapphire
And then you leaned in, laughing at the ocean’s spray
On St. John roads, beneath the green of Peace Hill’s shoulders
You said, “Don’t let me lose you to those sad yesterdays”
[Chorus]
Just this time…
Can we name those things we keep avoiding still…
The fear beneath our pride, our stubborn will
That turns our hearts to blame
Just this time…
Can we find a way to make forgiveness stay…
Not just for one magic night, only to fade away
I know we can get through this time
If we can just save it this time
Oh, just this time…
[Verse 3]
I really need to understand
How we get close, then break away when it gets real
Why the words “I’m sorry” feels so hard to say…
Come walk with me along Magen’s Bay till we see the dawn
Let its gentle waves wash all our cares away…
We can lie in love’s tender embrace till tomorrow comes
And say the things we’ve been afraid to hear
Then make a vow: simple, steady, honest and true
Not perfect…just present…just here
[Final Chorus]
Just this time
Can we find a way to finally make things right?
(Whoa-oh)
Make the magic last beyond one moonlit night
I know we can get through it this time
If we can just get to it
Just this time
Whoa-oh
We can get through it…
Just this time
[Instrumental Outro]
Song Description
“Just This Time” is a romantic soul-ballad set in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where a couple arrives worn down by years of missteps, miscommunication, and quiet distance: but chooses the islands as the place to try again. Against the glowing night views from Skyline Drive and the harbor sparkle of Charlotte Amalie on St. Thomas, the song opens with tenderness and a hard-won realization: love can’t survive on old arguments and emotional scorekeeping. As the chorus pleads for a new way forward: truth without fighting, kindness without conditions: the story moves by ferry to St. John, where sapphire water and the green rise of Peace Hill feel like an invitation to reset the heart.
In Verse 3, the emotional stakes deepen along Magens Bay, as dawn becomes a metaphor for clarity: learning to say “I’m sorry,” letting the past loosen its grip, and making a vow that’s grounded in presence rather than perfection. Built with a slow, cinematic rise: intimate verses swelling into a cathartic final chorus: “Just This Time” captures what it means to renew commitment not with grand gestures, but with honest words, softened defenses, and the decision to stay.
