The Winner Takes It All
Meryl Streep Lyrics


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I don't wanna talk
About the things we've gone through
Though it's hurting me
Now it's history
I've played all my cards
And that's what you've done too
Nothing more to say
No more ace to play

The winner takes it all
The loser standing small
Beside the victory
That's her destiny

I was in your arms
Thinking I belonged there
I figured it made sense
Building me a fence
Building me a home
Thinking I'd be strong there
But I was a fool
Playing by the rules

The gods may throw a dice
Their minds as cold as ice
And someone way down here
Loses someone dear
The winner takes it all
The loser has to fall
It's simple and it's plain
Why should I complain

But tell me does she kiss
Like I used to kiss you
Does it feel the same
When she calls your name
Somewhere deep inside
You must know I miss you
But what can I say
Rules must be obeyed

The judges will decide
The likes of me abide
Spectators of the show
Always staying low
The game is on again
A lover or a friend
A big thing or a small
The winner takes it all

I don't wanna talk
If it makes you feel sad
And I understand
You've come to shake my hand
I apologize
If it makes you feel bad
Seeing me so tense
No self-confidence





But you see
The winner takes it all

Overall Meaning

Meryl Streep’s song “The Winner Takes It All” is a heart-wrenching ballad about a woman who has just experienced a painful break-up with her partner. In the opening stanza, the singer speaks candidly about the emotional hurt she feels as a result of their past experiences together. She then admits that she has played all of her cards and there’s nothing more she can do to save the relationship. The chorus repeats the title line, asserting that the winner takes all and the loser is left standing small.


In the second verse, she reminisces about the times when she felt happiest with her partner, thinking that she belonged with him, building a home and thinking she’d be strong. However, she then admits that she was foolish for thinking she could play by the rules and that, ultimately, she was the one who lost. The bridge suggests that the universe is unpredictable; sometimes people we love fall out of love with us for no discernible reason, and the winner takes it all while the loser falls.


Line by Line Meaning

I don't wanna talk
I don't want to discuss our past relationship.


About the things we've gone through
I don't want to talk about the difficulties we faced in our relationship.


Though it's hurting me
Although it hurts to talk about it.


Now it's history
Our relationship is in the past now.


I've played all my cards
I've done all I can to try and make our relationship work.


And that's what you've done too
You've done your best to try and make our relationship work too.


Nothing more to say
There's nothing left to say about our relationship.


No more ace to play
Neither of us has anything else we can do to save our relationship.


The winner takes it all
The person who comes out on top in a relationship gets everything they want.


The loser standing small
The person who doesn't come out on top in a relationship is left feeling small and insignificant.


Beside the victory
Next to the person who came out on top in the relationship.


That's her destiny
It was fated that she would win the relationship.


I was in your arms
I was in a relationship with you.


Thinking I belonged there
I felt like I belonged in that relationship.


I figured it made sense
I thought it was logical to be in a relationship with you.


Building me a fence
I tried to protect myself emotionally in the relationship.


Building me a home
I tried to establish a comfortable, safe space in the relationship.


Thinking I'd be strong there
I thought I could be emotionally strong in that relationship.


But I was a fool
I was naive and foolish in thinking the relationship would work.


Playing by the rules
I was trying to play by the unspoken rules of the relationship.


The gods may throw a dice
Fate can be unpredictable and random, like the roll of a dice.


Their minds as cold as ice
Fate is indifferent to human emotions and can be cold and unfeeling.


And someone way down here
Someone who is not favored by fate.


Loses someone dear
Loses someone they love.


It's simple and it's plain
It's straightforward and easy to understand.


Why should I complain
There's no point in complaining about the situation.


But tell me does she kiss
I'm curious if your new partner kisses the way I used to kiss you.


Like I used to kiss you
Like I used to kiss you when we were in a relationship.


Does it feel the same
Is the feeling the same as it was when we were in a relationship?


When she calls your name
When your new partner calls your name.


Somewhere deep inside
On an emotional level.


You must know I miss you
You must be aware that I miss you emotionally.


But what can I say
There's nothing I can say to change the situation.


Rules must be obeyed
I have to respect the unwritten rules and conventions of relationships.


The judges will decide
Fate or other external factors will ultimately determine the outcome of relationships.


The likes of me abide
People like me must accept the outcome of relationships.


Spectators of the show
People who observe the relationship from the outside.


Always staying low
Remaining out of the spotlight and not directly involved in the relationship.


The game is on again
The relationship game is starting again.


A lover or a friend
The person you are with now could be a romantic partner or just a friend.


A big thing or a small
The outcome of the relationship could have a major or minor impact on your life.


The winner takes it all
Once again, the person who comes out on top in the relationship gets everything they want.


If it makes you feel sad
If talking about our relationship upsets you.


And I understand
I empathize with you and your feelings.


You've come to shake my hand
Showing that you're willing to be amicable towards me despite our relationship ending.


I apologize
I'm sorry.


If it makes you feel bad
If talking about our relationship makes you feel negative emotions.


Seeing me so tense
Noticing how uncomfortable I am talking about our relationship.


No self-confidence
Feeling unsure of myself due to our relationship ending.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Benny Goran Bror Andersson, Bjoern K Ulvaeus

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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