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Night Game
Paul Simon Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There were two men down
And the score tied
In the bottom of the eight
When the pitcher died

And they laid his spikes
On the pitcher's mound
And his uniform was torn
And his number was left on the ground

Then the night turned cold
Colder than the moon
The stars were white as bones
The stadium was old
Older than the screams
Older than these teams

There were three men down
And the season lost
And the tarpaulin was rolled
Upon the winter frost

Overall Meaning

In Paul Simon's "Night Game," he tells the story of a baseball game that takes a dark turn when the pitcher suddenly dies during the game. The song begins with the score tied and two men down in the bottom of the eighth inning. Suddenly, tragedy strikes as the pitcher dies, and his teammates lay his spikes on the pitcher's mound and leave his uniform torn and his number left on the ground. The night turns cold, colder than the moon, and the stadium is described as old and haunted, older than the screams and the teams.


The second verse describes the aftermath of the pitcher's death, with three men down and the season lost. The tarpaulin is rolled up on the winter frost, signaling the end of the game and the end of the season. The haunting imagery used throughout the song creates a sense of loss and finality, as if there is no going back from the tragedy that has occurred.


Overall, "Night Game" is a beautifully crafted song that tells a powerful story of loss and grief. The lyrics are thought-provoking and emotional, and the music is understated yet effective in conveying the mood and tone of the song.


Line by Line Meaning

There were two men down
Two players were already out of the game


And the score tied
Both teams had the same number of points


In the bottom of the eight
It was the last half of the eighth inning


When the pitcher died
The pitcher collapsed or was injured on the field


And they laid his spikes
His cleats were carefully placed


On the pitcher's mound
Where he stood during the game


And his uniform was torn
His clothes were ripped or damaged


And his number was left on the ground
His team's jersey with his identification number was placed on the field


Then the night turned cold
The temperature dropped significantly


Colder than the moon
The cold was intense and even colder than outer space


The stars were white as bones
The sky was clear and the stars were bright


The stadium was old
The stadium had been around for a long time


Older than the screams
It had seen many exciting moments and loud cheers over the years


Older than these teams
Even the teams playing were relatively new compared to the stadium


There were three men down
Another player was out


And the season lost
The team had no chance of winning the season


And the tarpaulin was rolled
The protective covering was put away


Upon the winter frost
There was snow or frost on the ground




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: PAUL SIMON

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