"For the First Time in Forever" is a song from the animated film Frozen to be sung by Anna (Kristen Bell) and Elsa (Idina Menzel). The song expresses Anna's delight at being able to see people again due to her sister's coronation. Meanwhile, it discloses Elsa's fear of accidentally revealing her ice powers to everyone.
Later, in the song's reprise, Anna tries to convince Elsa to return to Arendelle to remove the wintry curse she put on the kingdom and be sisters with her again, but Elsa refuses because she still feels she cannot control her powers and that Anna will be better off without her. Finally, as Anna's pleas and Elsa's fear intensify, she accidentally blasts Anna in the heart with her powers, which will eventually fatally freeze her.
Lyrics
Anna:
The window is open
So's that door
I didn't know they did that anymore
Who knew we owned eight thousand salad plates
For years I've roamed these empty halls,
Why have a ballroom with no balls
Finally, they're opening up the gates
There'll be actual real live people,
It'll be totally strange.
But wow! Am I so ready for this change
'Cause for the first time in forever,
There'll be music, there'll be light
For the first time in forever,
I'll be dancing through the night
Don't know if I'm elated or gassy,
But I'm somewhere in that zone
'Cause for the first time in forever
I won't be alone
I can't wait to meet everyone! (GASPS) What if I meet the one?
Anna:
Tonight, imagine me gown and all
Fetchingly draped against the wall
The picture of sophisticated grace
Ooh!
I suddenly see him standing there,
A beautiful stranger, tall and fair
I wanna stuff some chocolate in my face
But then, we laugh and talk all evening
Which is totally bizarre
Nothing like the life I've led so far
For the first time in forever
There'll be magic, there'll be fun
For the first time in forever
I could be noticed by someone
And I know it is totally crazy
To dream I'd find romance
But for the first time in forever
At least I've got a chance
Elsa:
Don't let them in
Don't let them see
Be the good girl
You always have to be
Conceal, don't feel
Put on a show
Make one wrong move
And everyone will know
But it's only for today
Anna: It's only for today
Elsa: It's agony to wait
Anna: It's agony to wait
Elsa:
Tell the guards to open up
The gate
Anna:
The gate
For the first time in forever
Elsa: Don't let them in, don't let them see
Anna: I'm getting what I'm dreaming of
Elsa: Be the good girl you always have to be
Anna: A chance to change my lonely world
Elsa: Conceal
Anna: A chance to find true love
Elsa:
Conceal, don't feel
Don't let them know
Anna:
I know it all ends tomorrow
So it has to be today
'Cause for the first time in forever
For the first time in forever
Nothing's in my way
Oh!
Anna: You don't have to protect me. I'm not afraid!
Please don't shut me out again.
Please don't slam the door.
You don't have to keep your distance anymore
'Cause for the first time in forever,
I finally understand.
For the first time in forever,
We can fix this hand in hand.
We can head down this mountain together!
You don't have to live in fear...
Cause for the first time in forever
I will be right here.
Elsa: Anna,
Please go back home.
Your life awaits.
Go enjoy the sun ā
And open up the gates.
Anna: Yeah, but ā
Elsa: I know!
You mean well, but leave me be.
Yes, I'm alone but I'm alone and free!
Just stay away and you'll be safe from me.
Anna: Actually we're not.
Elsa: What do you mean you're not?
Anna: I get the feeling you don't know....
Elsa: What do I not know?
Anna: Arendelle's in deep, deep, deep, deep...
Snow.
Elsa: What?
Anna: You've kind of set off an eternal winter... everywhere.
Elsa: Everywhere?
Anna: It's okay, you can just unfreeze it!
Elsa: No, I can't.
I ā I don't know how!
Anna: Sure you can! I know you can!
`Cause for the first time in forever,
Elsa: Oh
I'm such a fool!
I can't be free!
Anna: You donāt have to be afraid...
Elsa: No escape from the storm inside of me!
Anna: We can work this out together!
Elsa: I canāt control the curse!
Anna: Weāll reverse the storm youāve made!
Elsa: Anna, please, youāll only make it worse!
Anna: Donāt panic!
Elsa: Thereās so much fear!
Anna: Weāll make the sun shine bright!
Elsa: Youāre not safe here!
Anna: We can face this thing together!
Elsa: No!
Anna: We can change this winter weather!
Elsa: I I I I I...
Anna: And everything will be all right...
Elsa: I CANāT!
Other versions
| Performers | Title | Translation | Language |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alma Koleci & Antonela Ćekixhi | ? | ? | Albanian |
| Ų“Ų±ŁŁ ŲµŁŲ§Ų, ŁŲ³Ł Ų© Ł ŲŲ¬ŁŲØ(Shoruogh Salah & Nesma Mahjoub) | "ŁŲ£ŁŁ ŁŁŁ ŲØŲ¹Ł Ų±Ł" | "For The First Time In My Life" | Arabic |
| Gabi Porto & Taryn Szpilman | "Uma Vez na Eternidade" | "Once in Eternity" | Brazilian Portuguese |
| ŠŠµŃŠµŠ»Š° ŠŠ¾Š½ŠµŠ²Š° (Vesela Boneva) & ŠŠ°Š“ŠµŠ¶Š“Š° ŠŠ°Š½Š°Š¹Š¾ŃŠ¾Š²Š° (Nadezhda Panayotova) | "ŠŠ° ŠæŃŃŠ²Šø ŠæŃŃ Š¾Ń ŃŃŠ»Š° Š²ŠµŃŠ½Š¾ŃŃ" | "For The First Time Since The Eternity" | Bulgarian |
| VĆ©ronique Claveau & AnaĆÆs Delva | "Le renouveau" | "The renewal" | Canadian French |
| é»å±±ę”(Candy Wong) & ē½ēåƶ(Jobelle Ubalde) | "å¾ęŖåŗē¾ēęč¦ŗ" | "The Feelings That Never Appeared Before" | Cantonese |
| Carmen LĆ³pez & Gisela | "Por primera vez en aƱos" | "For the first time in years" | Castilian Spanish |
| Sementa Rajhard & NataÅ”a MirkoviÄ | "Prvi puta otkad pamtim" | "For The First Time Since I Remember" | Croatian |
| Tereza MartinkovĆ” & Monika AbsolonovĆ” | ? | ? | Czech |
| Kristine Yde Eriksen & Maria Lucia Heiberg Rosenberg | "Jeg Har Ventet Alt for LƦnge" | "I have waited too long" | Danish |
| Noortje Herlaar & Willemijn Verkaik | "Voor Het Eerst Na Al Die Jaren" | "For The First Time After All These Years" | Dutch |
| Hele KƵrve & Hanna-Liina VƵsa | ? | ? | Estonian |
| Saara Aalto & Katja SirkiƤ | "Ensi kertaa ikuisuuteen" | "For The First Time In Forever" | Finnish |
| Aline Goffin & Elke Buyle | "Voor het eerst in heel mijn leven" | "For the First Time in my Life" | Flemish |
| Emmylou Homs & AnaĆÆs Delva | "Le renouveau" | "The renewal" | French |
| Pia Allgaier & Willemijn Verkaik | "Zum ersten Mal" | "For the First Time in Ages" | German |
| ĪĪ¬ĻĪ¹Ī± ĪĪ±ĻĪ±ĻĪæĻĪæĻĪ»ĪæĻ (Vassia Zacharopoulou) & Ī£ĪÆĪ± ĪĪæĻĪŗĪ¹Ī½Ī¬ (SĆa KoskinĆ”) | "Ī¤Ī± ĻĪ½ĪµĪ¹ĻĪ¬ Ī¼ĪæĻ ĪĻĪ½ĻĪ±Ī½ĪµĻĪæĻ Ī½" | "My dreams are finally coming true" | Greek |
| Einat Azulay (×¢×× ×Ŗ ××××××) & Mona Mor (××× × ×××Ø) | "×”××£ ×× ×”××£" | "Finally" | Hebrew |
| VĆ”gĆ³ Bernadett & FarkashĆ”zi RĆ©ka | "MĆ”tĆ³l mindƶrƶkkĆ©" | "From Now and Forever" | Hungarian |
| ĆĆ³rdĆs Bjƶrk ĆorfinnsdĆ³ttir & ĆgĆŗsta Eva ErlendsdĆ³ttir | "ĆvĆ nĆŗ loks er allt aĆ° gerast" | "Because Finally Everything is Happening" | Icelandic |
| Serena Rossi & Serena Autieri | "Oggi, per la prima volta" | "Today, For the First Time" | Italian |
| ē„ē°ę²ä¹å ćę¾ććå (Sayaka Kanda & Takako Matsu) | "ēć¾ćć¦åćć¦" (Umarete Hajimete) | "First time since birth" | Japanese |
| ė°ģ§ģ¤, ė°ķė (Jiyun Park & Hye-Na Park) | "ķģ“ėģ ģ²ģģ¼ė”" | "For the first time since birth" | Korean |
|
Romina MarroquĆn PayrĆ³ & Carmen SarahĆ |
"Finalmente y Como Nunca" | "Finally and Like Never" | Latin American Spanish |
| BeÄte Zviedre & Jolanta Strikaite | ? | ? | Latvian |
| Neringa NekraÅ”iÅ«te & GirmantÄ VaitkutÄ | ? | ? | Lithuanian |
| Amylea Azizan & Marsha Milan Londoh | "Untuk Pertama Kalinya" | "For the First Time" | Malay |
| ęę½ę½ļ¼Eva Li) & č”ē»“ēŗ³ (Weina Hu) | "å„½ä¹ ę²”åØēå½é" | "Not In Life For So Long" | Mandarin |
| May Kristin Kaspersen & Lisa Stokke | "FĆørste Gang pĆ„ Lenge" | "First Time in a Long Time" | Norwegian |
| Ų«Ł ŪŁ Ł ŲøŁŲ±ŪŲ Ų³Ų§Ų±ŪŁŲ§ Ų³ŪŲ§Ų(Samin Mozafari & Sarina Sayah) | "ŁŲ®Ų³ŲŖŪŁ ŲØŲ§Ų± ŲØŲ¹ŲÆ ŪŚ© Ų¹Ł Ų±"(Nokhostin Baar Baade Yek Omr) | "The First Time After a Lifetime" | Persian Glory (Unofficial) |
| Magdalena Wasylik & Katarzyna Åaska | "Pierwszy raz jak siÄga pamiÄÄ" | "The First Time I Can Remember" | Polish |
| Isabel Jacobetty & Ana EncarnaĆ§Ć£o | "Pela Primeira Vez Pr'a Sempre" | "For the First Time in Forever" | Portuguese |
| CÄtÄlina ChirČan & Dalma Kovacs | "DupÄ atĆ¢t amar de vreme" | "After so much time" | Romanian |
| ŠŠ°ŃŠ°Š»ŃŃ ŠŃŃŃŃŠ¾Š²Š° (Natalia Bystrova) & ŠŠ½Š½Š° ŠŃŃŃŃŠ»ŠøŠ½Š° (Anna Buterlina) | "ŠŠæŠµŃŠ²ŃŠµ Š² ŃŃŠ¾Ń Š²ŠµŃŠµŃ" | "For the First Time This Evening" | Russian |
| Lejla Hot & Jelena GavriloviÄ | "Po prvi put u mom životu" | "For the First Time in My Life" | Serbian |
| Lucia BugalovĆ” & Andrea SomorovskĆ” | "PrvĆ½ krĆ”t za veÄnosÅ„ celĆŗ" | "For the First Time In Eternity" | Slovak |
| Tanja Ravljen & NuÅ”ka DraÅ”Äek Rojko | PrviÄ v življenju | "For the First Time in Life" | Slovene |
| Mimmi SandƩn & Annika Herlitz | "Fƶr FƶrstƤ GƄngen NƄgonsin" | "For The First Time In Forever" | Swedish |
|
åč»č(Ray Liu) & ęčÆå (Shennio Lin) |
"åęęŖęēęč¦ŗ" | "The Feelings That (I) Never Had Before" | Taiwanese Mandarin |
| ąø«ąøąø¶ą¹ąøąøąø“ąøąø² ą¹ąøŖąø ąø, ąø§ąø“ąøąøąø²ąøąøµ ą¹ąøąøµąø¢ąøąø„ąø“ą¹ąø | "ą¹ąøą¹ąøąøąø£ąø±ą¹ąøą¹ąø£ąøąøąøµą¹ąø£ąøąø”ąø²ą¹ąøąø“ą¹ąøąøąø²ąø" | "For The First Time That Have Waited For So Long" | Thai |
| Deniz Sujana & BegĆ¼m GĆ¼nceler | "Ä°lk Defa Hayatımda" | "For The First Time in my Life" | Turkish |
| ŠŠ°ŃŃŃ ŠÆŃŠµŠ¼ŃŃŠŗ (Maria Yaremchuk) & ŠØŠ°Š½ŃŃ (Shanis) | "ŠŠ° ŃŃŠ¾ ŃŠ¾ŠŗŃŠ² ŃŠµ ŃŠæŠµŃŃŠµ" | "For The First Time in Hundred Years" | Ukrainian |
| VƵ Hįŗ” TrĆ¢m & DĘ°Ę”ng HoĆ ng Yįŗæn | "Cho giĆ¢y phĆŗt lįŗ§n Äįŗ§u vĆ mĆ£i mĆ£i " | "For The First Time In Forever" | Vietnamese |
Gallery
Trivia
- In a June 2014 presentation at Williams College (later posted to YouTube), the Lopezes revealed that this song and its reprise were among the last songs composed for the film, in June 2013 (five months prior to the film's already-announced release date).
- One of the lyrics is similar to the second reprise of a song, "When Will My Life Begin", from Tangled. Both songs also carry a similar message; the start of a new phase in life. Rapunzel makes a cameo appearance with Flynn in Frozen during the song as well.
- Interestingly enough, in the reprise to "When Will My Life Begin", Rapunzel sings "For the first time ever." which reflects the title to the song.
- One of the paintings that Anna imitates while jumping in the air is a remodeled version of "The Swing" originally by the French Rococo artist Jean-HonorƩ Fragonard, a painting which greatly inspired Tangled according to Glen Keane, one of the animators.
- Before the final script, the original lyrics were "There'll be real, actual people"/"There'll be happy, smiling people", later replaced by "There'll be actual, real live people". Also, "For years I have roamed these empty halls" was contracted to "For years I've roamed these empty halls", "I hope that I don't vomit in his face" became "I wanna stuff some chocolate in my face" (because Disney came back to the songs' writers and told them that they couldn't have that sort of bodily fluid lyric, which was written by one of their daughters, so their daughter decided on the lyric that the film now has), and "A chance to leave my sister's world" was changed to "A chance to change my lonely world."
- This song sounds similar to "I See the Light" from Tangled in certain parts. For example, "For the first time in forever!" sounds similar to "And at last I see the light." However, they are inherently different being that the line "for the first time in forever" is based on the chord progression I (tonic) then IV, while "at last I see the light" follows the chords IV then I. There are also significant differences in notation such as the melody line and rhythm, as well as the orchestration, tempo and mood, making "For the First Time in Forever" a very original tune in its own right.
- At the end of the film and on the home video's main menu, this song and "Do You Wanna Build a Snowman?" are heard in instrumental form. The "For the First Time in Forever" instrumental reprise could possibly be a deep meaning at the end how "for the first time in forever", Anna and Elsa were finally reconnecting with each other, the gates are open, and peace and happiness is finally restored in Arendelle.
- In Disney's Frozen on Ice, the first notes of the song's chorus are heard as the coronation bells.
- During the song when Anna is eating the chocolate it is arranged as cola mountain from Wreck-It Ralph.
