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While stopping one innocent afternoon
For paper and magazines,
My attention was drawn to a riot of color,
The loveliest I've ever seen.
All in the shape of a plastic cube,
Red and yellow and blue.
"How lovely" I cried, "What a clever design!
Pray 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 colors 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 colors the same.
And then if you like, you start over again,
For it's fun and 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,
'Til 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!'"
That night after dinner I settled myself,
Planning to watch some TV.
Safe in the warmth of my favorite chair
And the bosom of my family
Basking in fellowship, brimfull of cheer,
I bade my child turn on the tube,
And as I was watching my favorite show,
I carelessly picked up the cube.
I twiddled it this way, I twiddled it that.
"Aha!" 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,
'Til 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 of 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 in to his office at 10,
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,
'Til 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!'"
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Thanks again to Don Roby for sending the lyrics to this song! |