Game
Doja Cat rose from viral novelty track buzz to mainstream superstar with he… Read Full Bio ↴Doja Cat rose from viral novelty track buzz to mainstream superstar with her smooth, hypnotic, R&B-flecked pop songs of sexuality, friendship, and personal power. She gained some significant attention with her early releases, but it was her 2019 sophomore effort, Hot Pink, that took her to the top of the Hot 100. Subsequent charting singles and collaborations with SZA and Saweetie further solidified her star power, and made the arrival of her 2021 album Planet Her all the more hotly anticipated. A number two Billboard 200 hit, Planet Her also earned several Grammy nominations. Singles followed, including her savvy 2022 cover of Hole's "Celebrity Skin," 2022's "Vegas" off the Elvis soundtrack, and 2023's trip-hop-inflected "Attention," all of which spotlighted Doja's adventurous, genre-crossing sensibilities. The latter track and "Paint the Town Red" appeared on her fourth album, 2023's Scarlet, which found her digging deep into her rap and hip-hop roots and became her third consecutive album to hit the Top Ten of the Billboard 200. Doja Cat was born Amala Zandile Dlamini in 1995 in Tarzana, California, the daughter of South African actor Dumisani Dlamini and painter Deborah Elizabeth Sawyer. After moving to New York for a few years, she returned to California with her mother. As a child, she studied piano and took tap, ballet, and jazz dance lessons. She also discovered surfing and breakdancing. By her teens, she was teaching herself to sing and listening to an eclectic mix of hip-hop, indie rock, R&B, and electronic music. Doja also began recording songs on her computer and in 2014 released her debut EP, Purrr! She quickly found herself with a viral hit with the track "So High." More singles followed, including the languid "Nunchucks" and "No Police," each one grabbing attention online. Another single, "Mooo!," arrived in 2018 and quickly went viral. On the heels of that success, Doja Cat issued her full-length debut album, Amala, which found her expanding upon her dreamy, meme-friendly sound with more hip-hop-, pop-, and R&B-infused tracks, including "Candy" and "Roll with Us." In 2019, she issued an expanded version of Amala that added the singles "Juicy" and "Tia Tamara," featuring Rico Nasty. Her sophomore album, Hot Pink, was quick to follow; with features from Smino, Gucci Mane, and Tyga, the 2019 LP leaned more into the sexually wry aspects of her ever-shifting persona. A Top Ten hit on the Billboard 200, the album's fifth single, "Say So," pushed her even further up the charts. After making a steady rise in the Hot 100 at the start of 2020, the multi-platinum track finally hit number one in May, boosted by a Nicki Minaj remix. After picking up a couple of American Music Awards, Doja carried the momentum from her breakout year into 2021. She began appearing alongside established celebrities more frequently, adding a guest feature to Saweetie's single "Best Friend," contributing to an Ariana Grande remix with Megan Thee Stallion, and releasing the SZA-assisted single "Kiss Me More." All of this led up to the June 2021 release of her third full-length studio album, Planet Her. It featured guest spots from Young Thug, the Weeknd, JID, and others, and its cover art was shot by photographer David LaChapelle. The album, which reached number two on the Billboard 200 and topped the R&B albums chart, also garnered Grammy nominations for Album of the Year and Best Pop Vocal Album. In February 2022, Doja hit number 18 on the Hot Rock & Alternative Songs chart with a cover of Hole's "Celebrity Skin," which featured lyrics reworked by her and Courtney Love. That same year, she reached the Top Ten of the Hot 100 with "Vegas," her contribution to the soundtrack to director Baz Luhrmann's Elvis biopic. In June 2023, she debuted the '90s trip-hop-inspired "Attention" as the first track released off her fourth studio album, Scarlet. Another song, "Paint the Town Red," followed that August as the official first single. Arriving that September, the album found Doja balancing her pop-R&B style with tracks that embraced her rap and hip-hop roots. It featured production by a handful of artists, including Earl on the Beat, D.A. Got That Dope, and Y2K, among others. A Top Five album on both the Billboard 200 and Rap Albums charts, Scarlet also earned several Grammy nominations, including Best Pop Solo Performance for "Paint the Town Red" and Best Rap Song for "Attention."
TRACKS
Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Search results not found
Song not found

Game
Doja Cat Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Is it bad if I care for you?
You make it seem like it is a crime that I love you
Is it bad if I care for you?
You make it seem like it is a crime that I love you

I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before

It seems so official
Boy I waited, waited, dodgin' players just to get you
They been sayin' things, just instigators, while I kept you
This shit seem automatic, I have, I ain't into

You don't really want me now
You know there's always someone else
You did it to me like you've played this game

I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before

Yah, throw hands in the air
Swear I can't bring that ass anywhere
You don't wanna fling, bring that ass over here
Boy, feelin' like a contest, how you wanna stare
Your attention span prolly long as your hair, too
If you're true, why you gotta dare, boo?
Some win and some gotta lose
You really need love, two L's, no cool
It is not me, nor them, just you
Acting like a fiend and the purp' don't suit
Act seventeen when you're thirty-two
Pussy too clean and it purty too
So I can't intervene on your escapades
'Cause I ain't really tryna be the next to pay
And be the next to say, "I got an ex today"
I can see it in your eyes when you flex your games and shit (Yeah)

I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before

Overall Meaning

In "Game," Doja Cat sings about caring for someone and being in love with them, despite feeling like it's a crime. The song captures the feelings of insecurity and vulnerability that can come with loving someone who doesn't reciprocate the same feelings. Doja wonders if caring for this person is bad, given how they make her feel. She feels like she's giving him everything, while he's playing games with her emotions. She feels like he's done this before, and she's just another player in his game.


The chorus repeats the phrase "You did it to me like you've played this game before," emphasizing the sense of deja vu and repetition in their relationship. The verse "It seems so official, Boy I waited, waited, dodgin' players just to get you" suggests that Doja had to go through many obstacles to be with her partner, and now he's not reciprocating the love she gives him.


Through her lyrics, Doja Cat touches upon the impact of being in a relationship where one person cares more than the other. She pours her heart out and questions whether it's worth it to stay in a relationship where she's the only one giving. Overall, "Game" is a relatable song about complicated relationships and the emotional turmoil that comes with them.


Line by Line Meaning

Is it bad if I care for you?
Asking whether or not it's wrong to have feelings for someone.


You make it seem like it is a crime that I love you
Feeling like the other person doesn't want her to care for them.


I did the most, I gave my all
Putting in a lot of effort and energy into the relationship.


You did it to me like you've played this game before
Feeling like the other person has been in this situation before and knows how to play the game.


It seems so official, Boy I waited, waited, dodgin' players just to get you
Thinking that the relationship is serious and worth waiting for, even though there were other potential options.


They been sayin' things, just instigators, while I kept you
Ignoring rumors and other people's opinions about the relationship.


You don't really want me now, You know there's always someone else
Feeling like the other person is not fully invested in the relationship and could easily move on to someone else.


Yah, throw hands in the air
Expressing excitement and potentially dancing or partying.


Swear I can't bring that ass anywhere
Feeling like her dancing or physical appearance draws too much attention.


You don't wanna fling, bring that ass over here
Wanting the other person's attention and physical affection.


Boy, feelin' like a contest, how you wanna stare
Feeling like the other person is trying to compete for attention or power in the relationship.


Your attention span prolly long as your hair, too
Believing that the other person doesn't have a long attention span or focus in the relationship.


If you're true, why you gotta dare, boo?
Questioning why the other person needs to test or challenge the relationship if they actually care.


Some win and some gotta lose
Acknowledging that not all relationships work out and that someone will ultimately be hurt.


You really need love, two L's, no cool
Saying that the other person craves love and affection, but without any games or coolness in the relationship.


It is not me, nor them, just you
Blaming the other person for any problems or issues in the relationship.


Acting like a fiend and the purp' don't suit
Comparing the other person's behavior to that of a drug addict who doesn't know what's good for them.


Act seventeen when you're thirty-two
Acting immature or childish despite being older and more experienced in life.


Pussy too clean and it purty too
Using wordplay to describe her clean and attractive physical appearance.


So I can't intervene on your escapades
Saying that she can't control the other person's actions or behaviors outside of the relationship.


'Cause I ain't really tryna be the next to pay
Not wanting to be hurt or taken advantage of in the relationship.


And be the next to say, "I got an ex today"
Not wanting to be the one to end up with a broken heart and become the other person's ex.


I can see it in your eyes when you flex your games and shit (Yeah)
Being able to tell when the other person is playing games and manipulating the relationship.




Lyrics © Ultra Tunes, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Adrian Eccleston, Amala Zandile Dlamini, Cameron Bartolini, David Sprecher

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@matix2895

[Intro]
Is it bad if I care for you?
You make it seem like it is a crime that I love you
Is it bad if I care for you?
You make it seem like it is a crime that I love you

[Chorus]
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before

[Verse 2]
It seems so official
Boy I waited, waited, dodgin' players just to get you
They been sayin' things, just instigators, while I kept you
This shit seem automatic, I have, I ain't into

[Bridge]
You don't really want me now
You know there's always someone else
You did it to me like you've played this game

[Chorus]
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before
You did it to me like you've played this game before

[Verse 3]
Yah, throw hands in the air
Swear I can't bring that ass anywhere
You don't wanna fling, bring that ass over here
Boy, feelin' like a contest, how you wanna stare?
Your attention span prolly long as your hair too
If you're true, why you gotta dare, boo?
Some win and some gotta lose
You really need love, two L's, no cool
It is not me, nor them, just you
Acting like a fiend [?]
Act seventeen when you're thirty-two
Pussy too clean, and it purty too
So I can't intervene on your escapades
'Cause I ain't really tryna be the next to pay
And be the next to say, "I got an ex today"
I can see it in your eyes when you flex your games and shit

[Chorus]
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before
I did the most, I gave my all
You did it to me like you've played this game before



All comments from YouTube:

@kiltz1131

love how she sounds different in all her songs

@angelinebena9675

so true!!! she is sooo versatile

@SugarSnapz

I'm still mad this album hasn't blown up on the charts after Doja came up because it deserves all the flowers!!

@tremaynedawson4941

Her best body of work yet I’m so upset

@IndigoElephants

I’m so glad you made Moooo! Because I would have never discovered your music and I love it!!!

@remylabeau5140

Shianna W my thoughts exactly!

@nunaz5312

SAMEEE!!😂💕🎵🎵 Especially "Casual" love that song

@soju8932

askfjakfis same

@gracefrazier8545

Same

@jessie_kay8402

Casual is 👌👌🔥🔥🔥

3 More Replies...
More Comments

More Versions