Games
Mating Ritual is the solo dance-rock outfit of Ryan Marshall Lawhon. Based … Read Full Bio ↴Mating Ritual is the solo dance-rock outfit of Ryan Marshall Lawhon. Based in Los Angeles, Lawhon was one-part of Pacific Air, a synth-rock duo with his brother Taylor. In 2014, the siblings put their group on hold so that Taylor could go back to school. Ryan forged ahead with his new project, a bouncy blend of hand-clap arena rock and synth melodies inspired by the '90s electronic and new age inspirations from his childhood, like Laurie Anderson, Ray Lynch, and Enya. Balancing those atmospheric sonics with the spirit of his emo and post-punk influences, Lawhon released his debut single in 2015. "Toxins" unveiled a hook-heavy sound reminiscent of the Naked & Famous, Miike Snow, and Passion Pit. He went on to release a string of other singles that year ("Game," "Moonlight" and "Hum Hum"). For his debut EP, he collaborated with his brother Taylor once again, as well as drummer Rob Humphries and singer Lizzy Land. The four-song self-titled Mating Ritual was released in early 2016. Building upon existing shimmery electronic layers, Lawhon bolstered the songs with some glam rock muscle on "I Can't Dance" and '80s new wave on "Don't Know Your Name." Early 2017 saw Lawhon issue a trio of singles -- "Thief," "Second Hand," and "Drunk" -- in anticipation of the release of his debut full-length How You Gonna Stop It?, which dropped later that June.

Games
Mating Ritual Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Slow me down two seconds,
I don't want to run.
No, you wait for a minute
I'm smoother when I'm buzzed.

And I won't let the fear that I could be something
Play me like I'm someone who's better looking.
And I'm losing the game to all the younger kids
But I won't let them fuck with me or what I want.

I play it off like I'm a winner
I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans
I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth.

Cool me down for a minute
So I can stop to treat you better.
Hold my thumb when I need it
Like a man who gets what he wants

And I won't let the heat that we are missing
Play it off like I'm someone who's never been here before.

I play it off like I'm a winner
I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans,
I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth.

Sometimes it's easy to get what you want,
Sometimes it's easy to lose when you thought you would win.
Sometimes you feeling, you feel- like a front




Oh I won't play the game
If I know that the storm don't exist.

Overall Meaning

The song Games by Mating Ritual presents a reflection on life's challenges and how they are perceived by different people. The lyrics start with the singer insisting on slowing down the pace of the events and not rushing through life. He acknowledges that he may not be the best-looking person or the most successful, yet he does not let the fear of inadequacy phase him. The singer confesses that he could be losing in the game of life to younger generations, but he won't let them take away what he wants.


The chorus reinforces the idea of playing off as a winner regardless of internal struggles. The singer describes his living conditions as monochrome and depressing, but he turns drink bottles into oceans to mask the reality. He acknowledges his shortcomings but chooses to present himself as the winner and lets people believe whatever he wants. In the second verse, the singer asks his partner to understand him better and provide support when needed, and resist the temptation to play him off as unable to cope.


Line by Line Meaning

Slow me down two seconds, I don't want to run.
Take a pause and give me some time to think. I don't want to rush into anything.


No, you wait for a minute I'm smoother when I'm buzzed.
Sorry, I need you to hold on for a bit. I function better when I am slightly tipsy.


And I won't let the fear that I could be something Play me like I'm someone who's better looking.
I won't allow my fear of failure to make me act like someone I am not just to impress others.


And I'm losing the game to all the younger kids But I won't let them fuck with me or what I want.
I may be struggling to keep up with younger competitors, but I refuse to let them undermine me or my goals.


I play it off like I'm a winner I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon I'm turning bottles into oceans I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth.
I pretend to be successful despite living in a depressing place, and I exaggerate the truth to make myself look good.


Cool me down for a minute So I can stop to treat you better.
Please calm me down for a second so I can be a better person to you.


Hold my thumb when I need it Like a man who gets what he wants
Support me when I am struggling to keep going, like a confident, successful man who always gets his way.


And I won't let the heat that we are missing Play it off like I'm someone who's never been here before.
I won't pretend that I don't feel the absence of something between us, like I have no experience with this feeling.


Sometimes it's easy to get what you want, Sometimes it's easy to lose when you thought you would win. Sometimes you feeling, you feel- like a front Oh I won't play the game If I know that the storm don't exist.
Life can be unpredictable, and sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail. Sometimes you feel like a fraud, but I won't pretend for the sake of fitting in if I know that there's nothing to be worried about.




Contributed by Claire C. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@ericksaavedra2357

LYRICS

Slow me down two seconds,Β 
I don't want to run.
No, you wait for a minute
I'm smoother when I'm buzzed.

And I won't let the fear that I could be something
Play me like I'm someone who's better looking.
And I'm losing the game to all the younger kids
But I won't let them fuck with me or what I want.

Chorus:
I play it off like I'm a winner
I-I-I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans
I-I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth.

Cool me down for a minute
So I can stop to treat you better.
Hold-d-d my thumb when I need it
Like a man who gets what he wants

And I won't let the heat that we are missing
Play it off like I'm someone who's never been here before.

Chorus:
I play it off like I'm a winner
I-I-I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans,Β 
I-I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth.

Sometimes it's easy to get what you want,Β 
Sometimes it's easy to lose when you thought you would win.
Sometimes you feeling, you feel- like a front
Oh I won't play the game
If I know that the storm don't exist.

Chorus X2



@andreaacceron9395

Slow me down two seconds
I don't want to run
Woah, you wait for a minute
I'm smoother when I'm buzzed

And I won't let the fear that I could be something
Play me like I'm someone who's better looking
I'm losing the game to all the younger kids
But I won't let them fuck with me or what I want

Chorus:
I play it off like I'm a winner
I-I-I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans
I-I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth

Cool me down for a minute
So I can stop to treat you better
Hold-d-d my thumb when I need it
Like a man who gets what he wants

And I won't let the heat that we are missing
Play me like I'm someone who's never been here before

Chorus:
I play it off like I'm a winner
I-I-I'm living inside of an apartment that is darkest at noon
I'm turning bottles into oceans
I-I'Il tell you whatever I want and let you think it's the truth
Sometimes it's easy to get what you want
Sometimes it's easy to lose when you thought you would win
Sometimes you feeling, you feel- like a front
Oh I won't play the game
If I know that the score don't exist

Chorus X2



All comments from YouTube:

@tylersloeper

This is why people from the voice can't get ahead. They think they are good musicians and unrecognized? They should try delving into the vast underworld of amazing music that no one knows about. They don't even compare. Songs like this prove that amazing music is not always appreciated.

@vampirf1539

I'm confused, who said anything about The Voice?

@gheanglim812

I couldn't agree more. they're so underrated

@crowdpleaser54

stopbotheringmegoogle just saw them live so good. Ryan is the nicest guy!

@jhooladmi

All thanks to Netflix and modern day media

@thapineapple

Heard this song, fell in love, played it on repeat for days and now it's my ringtone. Best song I've discovered in decades.

1 More Replies...

@saymeseverino3427

YOU brought me here

@Capt.RedBeard

Same

@joshuakoshka5753

what is the song when she is fucking with her boyfriend?

@saymeseverino3427

@@joshuakoshka5753 i've been looking that song for weeks but haven't had any luck

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