once upon a time /ˈwʌns.əˈpɑn.əˈtaɪ̯m/ adverb2 •A long time ago; at some time in the past (a traditional beginning of children's stories, especially fairy tales).Once upon a time, in a faraway land, there lived a beautiful princess. •Formerly.Long before popular music evolved its many genres and subgenres, the industry was driven by a simple one-size-fits-all philosophy […] Songwriters, once upon a time, wrote songs for the masses. — 2012
