概要

2007年8月30日，这首歌的片段被用户Nega发到乌克兰论坛night.kharkov.ua上，并于11月4日被转发到mp3forum.com.ua，但两个贴子都没有受到多少关注。2007年11月15日，用户Kieron将其发在了allthelyrics.com，获得了几个回复，但很快大家就放弃了寻找。

2020年中旬，WatZatSong用户alexx1984重新上传了这个片段，使这首歌受到了关注。alexx1984描述这首歌来自电影《Jackou le Croquant》的俄罗斯盗版DVD。

2023年10月9日，用户ShaiiValley在YouTube上传了一段关于这首歌的视频，引发更多人对这首歌产生兴趣。很快，这首歌又在两张不同的俄罗斯盗版DVD上被发现，这两张DVD分别名为“МУЛЬТИПAРАД 3”和“МУЛЬТИПАРАД 4”。DVD收录了《怪物史莱克》、《快乐的大脚》、《未来小子》等动画电影，在DVD的选片菜单中这首歌被用作背景音乐，但不完整。

发现

2023年12月8日，Reddit用户arabara在SOCAN（加拿大作词者、作曲者及音乐发行人协会）的资料库中搜索“How Long”一词后找到了Paula Toledo的《How Long》。随后这首歌的全曲在一个2005年10月1日播出的播客《Suburban Transpondency》的第三集中被发现。

2005年电影《Secret Lives》使用了这首歌作为片尾曲。此外，2006年的加拿大情景喜剧《15/Love》中也出现了这首歌。

2023年12月9日，Paula Toledo得知自己的歌曲被网友苦寻多年，在YouTube上发布了视频回应大家的付出，并表示对此十分感动。

歌词

[Verse 1: Paula Toledo]
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

[Pre-Chorus 2: Paula Toledo with Jonathan Anderson]
In your mind am I a sinner?
Looking for relief?

[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?
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