Strongly interested and outspoken about green anarchism issues the band have built up a strong and devoted fanbase, despite being nearly universally ignored by mainstream critics. The band have been spokespeople for a number of issues including campaigning against the Criminal Justice Act (and its measures against rave parties) and various anti-capitalist and environmental issues. They continue to tour extensively around Britain and Europe but maintain a mutual dislike with the music press which stems from their early days.
The Game
Levellers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And nothing could be heard
The dust lay undisturbed
At a table near the back, underneath a fan
Two men shared a joke about the normal folk
The cards are on the table
The winners takes it all
One man about to fall
I don't believe in heaven
I don't believe in hell
I don't believe what I'm seeing
This is no game, can't you tell
"I'm calling your bluff" the first man said
"The people went to war, they always wanted more
How could I ever fail to lose
They can't take it any more, they want to end the score"
The second man showed his hand
Some walked barefoot across the land
Many have seen the future
And are doing the best they can
[Chorus]
The clock ticked past the final hour
Which of the men had lost? and what was the cost?
The glasses now were empty and gone
To wash away the shame, and take away the pain
One man left the table
The other, head in hands
Paid the bill for the defeated
the only thing left that stands
[Chorus]
The song "The Game" by Levellers takes us into a dark and quiet bar where two men are engaged in a game of cards. Amidst the dust and silence, they exchange jokes about the ordinary folk. As the game reaches its climax, one of the men is about to lose, but he refuses to accept it as a mere game. He questions the existence of heaven and hell and the reality of what he sees in front of him. The other man, however, shows his hand, revealing that he has seen the future and is doing the best he can. The clock then ticks past the final hour, and the game ends with one man leaving victorious and the other defeated, left to pay the bill.
The song portrays a powerful message about the game of life, where often people engage in a struggle for power and control, forgetting the value of compassion and kindness. It raises questions about our beliefs and the reality around us, suggesting that we need to look beyond surface appearances and illusions to truly understand the world. The theme of the song is reflective, and the mood is somber, emphasizing the gravity of the situation that these two men are facing.
Line by Line Meaning
The Bar was dark, quiet and still
The bar was empty and silent
And nothing could be heard
There was complete silence
The dust lay undisturbed
There was no movement, everything had settled
At a table near the back, underneath a fan
There was a table located at the back of the bar, beneath a fan
Two men shared a joke about the normal folk
Two men were laughing at the ordinary people
The cards are on the table
The stakes have been set
The winners takes it all
The victor gains everything
The game is nearly over
The competition is coming to a close
One man about to fall
One man is close to losing
I don't believe in heaven
I don't have faith in an afterlife
I don't believe in hell
I don't believe in a place of eternal punishment
I don't believe what I'm seeing
I can't believe what's happening before my eyes
This is no game, can't you tell
This is not just a game, it's serious
"I'm calling your bluff" the first man said
The first man accused the other of lying
"The people went to war, they always wanted more
The people kept fighting wars, always wanting more
How could I ever fail to lose
How could I not lose
They can't take it any more, they want to end the score"
They can't handle it anymore, they want to end the conflict
The second man showed his hand
The second man revealed his strategy
Some walked barefoot across the land
Some people have journeyed through tough times
Many have seen the future
Many have a vision for the future
And are doing the best they can
And are doing everything within their power to make that vision a reality
The clock ticked past the final hour
The time had passed the deadline
Which of the men had lost? and what was the cost?
Who was the loser? what was the price?
The glasses now were empty and gone
The drinks had been consumed
To wash away the shame, and take away the pain
To try to forget what happened and ease the sorrow
One man left the table
One man walked away
The other, head in hands
The other was distraught
Paid the bill for the defeated
Paid for the cost of losing
the only thing left that stands
The only thing left was the memory of the competition
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, O/B/O DistroKid
Written by: BERNARD SUMNER, GILLIAN LESLEY GILBERT, PHILLIP CUNNINGHAM, STEPHEN PAUL DAVID MORRIS, THOMAS LOUIS CHAPMAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@timothygrayson
Probably the best album to surface the 90s. Full Monty they gave and boy did they give us a blast.
@rabbiemuirhead5304
what an absolute gem of a band. another mans cause is s pure powerful song with fantastic lyrics, big up the levellers,
@HolisticHealthWithHarry
yeah dude love them and this song epic
@dmthandmade5674
I keep coming back. I click on this, I get sent into a completely disproportionate rage about the shitty intro bells, and then I listen and forget. See you in 6 months.
@Joss1
Best album they ever did true story
@garethroberts9310
Got me through hard times GW1
@ross21ize
Absolute classic 🎉
@HolisticHealthWithHarry
just searched these guys again after so long love love love
@calvert161
My favourite ❤️
@debradavitt4758
Great tunes