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Only a Game

      C
While stopping one innocent afternoon
                  G7
For paper and magazines,

My attention was drawn to a riot of colour,
                        C
The loveliest I've ever seen.

All in the shape of a plastic cube,
                   F
Red and yellow and blue.
                               C
"How lovely," I cried, "What a clever design!
       G7                        C
Great, tell me sir, what does it do?"

"That's easy," he said as he handled my cash,
And he dropped the cube into a sack.
"Some of the colours you twist left or right,
Some you twist forward, some back.
Before very long if you're clever at this,
You've got all the colours the same.
And then if you like, you start over again,
For it's fun and it's only a game."

 C
"Only a game, only a game."
                       G7
I'm muttering under my breath.

"Only a game, only a game,
                   C
Like dying is only death!"

I talk to myself as I walk down the street,
                                  F
Till old friends all cry, "What a shame!
                                 C
For he used to say 'Hello!' and 'How do you do?'
       G7                  C
All he says now is 'Only a game'!"

That night after dinner, I settled myself
Planning to watch some TV,
Safe in the warmth of my favourite chair
And the bosom of my family.
Basking in fellowship, brimful of cheer,
I bade my child, "Turn on the tube!"
And as I was watching my favourite show,
I carelessly picked up the cube.

I twiddled it this way, I twiddled it that.
"Haha!" I exclaimed, "This is strange!
No matter how often I twiddle this cube,
The blasted thing don't seem to change!"
I felt myself growing the slightest bit warm
As I twisted and whirled and spun.
They tell me they found me there early next morn
I was screaming, "By God, nearly done!"

"For it's only a game, only a game."
I'm muttering under my breath.
"Only a game, only a game,
Like dying is only death!"
I talk to myself as I walk down the street,
Till old friends all cry, "What a shame!
For he used to say 'Hello!' and 'How do you do?'
All he says now is 'Only a game'!"

Somehow I got dressed and they drove me to work,
And I slowly came out my haze.
By a fierce act of will, I sat down to my tasks -
There was talk I might soon earn a raise.
The boss called me into his office at ten
And he said to me, "Glad that you came!
For I'm thinking of adding this toy to our line,
For it's fun and it's only a game!"

Well, I don't know what happened - I don't want to know.
I'll have all my life to repent.
They say I did something with that little cube
That the boss was obliged to resent.
And now I get visitors here in my room,
And they murmur, "Poor man, what a shame!
For he's twisting his ears and he's twiddling his nose,
And he tells us it's only a game!"

"Only a game, only a game."
I'm muttering under my breath.
"Only a game, only a game,
Like dying is only death!"
I talk to myself as I walk down the street,
Till old friends all cry, "What a shame!
For he used to say 'Hello!' and 'How do you do?'
All he says now is 'Only a game'!"

(Words and music by Tom Paxton, 1983)

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