I have chosen Games People Play, not only to link to the prompt words for Song Lyric Sunday but to Blogtober 2021 too. I have been a bit wayward in my postings of late so I’m making an effort to find my vigour.

Alan Parsons Project was not really my genre of music, but my first ex-husband was quite keen. We met in 1981 when this song was first released.

This is one of the most high tempo, rock-style songs that this progressive group recorded. It’s also unusual in that it was fronted by Lenny Zakatek – most of their songs featured Eric Woolfson as lead singer. The song examines the strategies people use to get what they want from others, while also contemplating the fact that they’re not getting any younger. Interestingly, there is a book on the former theme by psychiatrist Eric Berne, also called Games People Play.

In a 2019 interview with Alan Parsons, he told Songfacts: “I think it would be fair to say that that was inspired by the fact that we were living in Monte Carlo. It’s very linked to the content of the album, The Turn Of A Friendly Card, which was all about gambling, gamblers, the problems of gamblers, and games people play. It’s just a gambling theme. We literally lived 10 paces from the Monte Carlo Casino – we were right there.”

Parsons used an instrument he invented called a Projectron on this track. Similar to a mellotron, it used tape loops to play back samples. A studio boffin with high technical acuity, Parsons cut his teeth doing engineer work at Abbey Road Studios, where he worked with The Beatles and Pink Floyd.

Songfacts

Where do we go from here, now that all other children are growin’ up?

And how do we spend our lives, if there’s no one to lend us a hand?

I don’t wanna live here no more, I don’t wanna stay

Ain’t gonna spend the rest of my life quietly fading away

Games people play, you take it or you leave it

Things that they say are not right

If I promise you the moon and the stars, would you believe it?

Games people play in the middle of the night

Where do we go from here, now that all of the children have grown up?

And how do we spend our time knowing nobody gives us a damn?

I don’t wanna live here no more, I don’t wanna stay

Ain’t gonna spend the rest of my life quietly fading away

Games people play, you take it, or you leave it

Things that they say, just don’t make it right

If I’m telling you the truth right now, do you believe it?

Games people play in the middle of the night

Games people play, you take it, or you leave it

Things that they say are not right

If I promise you the moon and the stars, would you believe it?

Games people play in the middle of the night

Games people play, you take it, or you leave it

Things that they say, just don’t make it right

If I’m telling you the truth right now, do you believe it?

Games people play in the middle of the night

Source: Musixmatch

Songwriters: Eric Woolfson / Alan Parsons

Games People Play lyrics © Woolfsongs Ltd., Universal Music – Careers, Multisongs

Post inspired by Jim’s Song Lyric Sunday – This week we have the prompts Heavenly Bodies, Planets, Moon, Sun, Stars – Click through for the rules if you too would like to join in …

PS – Tis day 10 #Blogtober so linking with Christine, The Saxophone Player’s Wife’s  troupe, for extra encouragement!

Published by TheHiddenEdge

I love words - they communicate so much or so little depending on how you use them. Come and explore my thoughts with me in this, my learning journal. View all posts by TheHiddenEdge