Snakes And Ladders
Joss Stone Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

In the game of love
It takes all you got
Just to keep it moving up
Don't you want to reach the top
But heaven seems such a crazy dream
If your heart has room for doubt
You're neither in you're neither out
99 1/2 it just won't do
You gotta give me all of you
Not asking too much of a heart that's true
So tell me

[Chorus:]
What's the name of the game that we are playing
But whenever I think that we are winning
Then you roll the dice take a slide
Right back to the one from 99

Is it gonna go on like this forever
Are we gonna to take that last step together
Going round and round and up and down
Feels just like snakes and ladders

Baby don't it feel like a carousel
Where all the world is rushing by
But when it stops you realize
That you're right back where you started at
I need a little more than that
It time for us to face the facts

Whether to be or not to be
That is the question so it seems
We're going nowhere in between
So tell me

[Chorus]

Don't want to play this game anymore
I gotta know right now for sure
What am I giving my heart for
Baby I need a little more
Don't leave me hanging on a string
Now that I gave you everything


Not when I play to win
Snakes and ladders





[Chorus: x2]

Overall Meaning

Joss Stone's song "Snakes" is about the ups and downs of love and relationships. She compares it to a game of snakes and ladders where you're constantly going up and down and never knowing where you'll end up. The chorus asks what the name of the game is and questions whether they'll ever reach the finish line together. The verses talk about how it takes all you've got to keep love moving up, but doubt can cause you to slide back down.


Stone sings about needing more than just going around in circles and how it's time to face the facts. The song ultimately asks for transparency and clarity in the relationship. The title of the song, "Snakes," is a reference to the snakes in the game of snakes and ladders, which make the player slide back down the board. This symbolizes the setbacks and obstacles that can occur in a relationship.


The song's lyrics are relatable to anyone who has been in a relationship that has felt like a game of snakes and ladders. The song is a soulful ballad, showcasing Stone's powerful vocals. The emphasis on the chorus is heightened by background singers and a catchy melody that makes it easy to sing along.


Line by Line Meaning

In the game of love
Being in a romantic relationship is like a game.


It takes all you got
Being in a relationship requires a huge effort.


Just to keep it moving up
It takes a lot to keep a romantic relationship from falling apart.


Don't you want to reach the top
Don't you want to have a successful and fulfilling romantic relationship?


But heaven seems such a crazy dream
A perfect relationship seems impossible.


If your heart has room for doubt
If you have doubts about your relationship.


You're neither in you're neither out
You're not fully in or out of the relationship.


99 1/2 it just won't do
Half-hearted effort is not enough.


You gotta give me all of you
You need to put your all into the relationship.


Not asking too much of a heart that's true
Expecting everything from a sincere heart is not too much.


So tell me
Please tell me.


[Chorus:] What's the name of the game that we are playing
What is our relationship supposed to be?


But whenever I think that we are winning
Just when things seem to be going well.


Then you roll the dice take a slide
Then you make a big mistake that sets us back.


Right back to the one from 99
Back to a point we were at before, with little progress made.


Is it gonna go on like this forever
Will our relationship always have these ups and downs?


Are we gonna to take that last step together
Are we going to commit to each other completely?


Going round and round and up and down
Our relationship feels like a cycle of highs and lows.


Feels just like snakes and ladders
Our relationship feels like the game snakes and ladders.


Baby don't it feel like a carousel
Our relationship feels like a never-ending cycle.


Where all the world is rushing by
Where everything else is moving fast but our relationship is stagnant.


But when it stops you realize
When you finally stop and look around.


That you're right back where you started at
You're back to square one in your relationship.


I need a little more than that
I need something more fulfilling than this.


It time for us to face the facts
We need to confront the reality of our relationship.


Whether to be or not to be
The question of whether or not we should stay together.


That is the question so it seems
It seems like a difficult question to answer.


We're going nowhere in between
Our relationship is not making any progress.


Don't want to play this game anymore
I don't want to be in this relationship anymore.


I gotta know right now for sure
I need to know for sure what we're doing with our relationship.


What am I giving my heart for
I need to know what I'm investing myself in.


Baby I need a little more
I need something more fulfilling.


Don't leave me hanging on a string
Don't keep me on the hook waiting for a resolution.


Now that I gave you everything
Now that I've put my all into this relationship.


Not when I play to win
I won't settle for anything less than a winning relationship.


Snakes and ladders
This relationship is like a game of snakes and ladders.


[Chorus: x2]
Repeat the chorus twice.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: CONNOR REEVES, JONATHAN NICHOLAS SHORTEN, JOSS STONE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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