Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazareth_(band)
Studio albums
Nazareth (1971)
Exercises (1972)
Razamanaz (1973)
Loud 'n' Proud (1973)
Rampant (1974)
Hair of the Dog (1975)
Close Enough for Rock 'n' Roll (1976)
Play 'n' the Game (1976)
Expect No Mercy (1977)
No Mean City (1979)
Malice in Wonderland (1980)
The Fool Circle (1981)
2XS (1982)
Sound Elixir (1983)
The Catch (1984)
Cinema (1986)
Snakes 'n' Ladders (1989)
No Jive (1991)
Move Me (1994)
Boogaloo (1998)
The Newz (2008)
Big Dogz (2011)
Rock 'n' Roll Telephone (2014)
Tattooed on My Brain (2018)
Surviving the Law (2022)
Games
Nazareth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You're the son of the neighborhood strays
You can walk in your prison for days
But you'll never get anywhere
It's a pain
But the shine on the edge of your blade
Couldn't give all the waiting away
You were recognized everywhere
You are not just ashamed of yourself
You're a part of the scenery, damned to hell
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
It's our job, you see
You'll agree
There is no point in letting you go
We can wait till the end of the show
Till the audience fades away
Turn around
You can laugh at the mess in your room
It's a nightmare that never can end for you
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
It's our job you see
You'll agree
There is no point in letting you go
We can wait till the end of the show
Till the audience fades away
Turn around
You can laugh at the mess in your room
It's a nightmare that never can end for you
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
Can't you see
We are not going to play at your games
We are not going to ask you for names
Or for some of your history
Did you know
That your father said it's all wrong
Just to keep it going along
It's a part of our mystery
In Nazareth's song "Games," the lyrics address someone who is seemingly stuck in a cycle of self-destruction. The opening line "Look at you, you're the son of the neighborhood strays" suggests that the person has been born into a rough area and has inherited this same quality of being a stray, aimlessly wandering through life. The following line "You can walk in your prison for days, but you'll never get anywhere" reinforces this sense of being trapped by circumstances beyond one's control. The shining blade mentioned in the third line suggests that the person has a certain allure or charm, but this is ultimately superficial and doesn't signify any real progress.
The second verse seems to be addressed to this person's family, particularly their father, who apparently recognizes that something is wrong but allows it to continue regardless. The lines "Did you know/that your father said it's all wrong/just to keep it going along" suggest that the father is more interested in keeping up appearances than in really addressing the underlying problems. The chorus repeats the assertion that "we are not going to play at your games," emphasizing the idea that the person is more interested in playing a role or putting on a performance than in engaging with reality. Overall, the song creates a mood of frustration and futility, with a sense that this person is stuck in a cycle they can't escape without some kind of intervention.
Line by Line Meaning
Look at you
Observing you
You're the son of the neighborhood strays
You come from an unknown/undesirable background
You can walk in your prison for days
You may feel trapped in your current situation
But you'll never get anywhere
You won't make any progress
It's a pain
It's frustrating
But the shine on the edge of your blade
The glimmer of hope you hold
Couldn't give all the waiting away
It doesn't reveal when things will get better
You were recognized everywhere
People know who you are
Turn away
Avoiding the reality of your situation
You are not just ashamed of yourself
You feel ashamed of your surroundings/people around you
You're a part of the scenery, damned to hell
You're stuck in a bad situation and can't escape
Can't you see
Don't you realize
We are not going to play at your games
We won't be tricked or manipulated by you
We are not going to ask you for names
We don't need to know who you are
Or for some of your history
Your past doesn't matter to us
Did you know
Are you aware
That your father said it's all wrong
Your family disagrees with your actions
Just to keep it going along
They are trying to maintain the status quo
It's a part of our mystery
This is part of the unknown or unexplained situation
It's our job, you see
It's our duty to deal with this situation
You'll agree
You'll come to understand
There is no point in letting you go
We can't allow you to escape your situation
We can wait till the end of the show
We can wait until things naturally resolve
Till the audience fades away
Until people stop paying attention
Turn around
Face the reality of what's happening
You can laugh at the mess in your room
You can ignore your problems
It's a nightmare that never can end for you
Your situation may feel hopeless
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Billy Rankin, Dan McCafferty (non Mountain title, Darrell Sweet, Manuel Charlton, Peter Agnew
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@bonecaster3051
Old guy here
Loved them in the 70’s
They still connect
We’ve grown old together
@alexkashia2053
I never understand why Naz... so underrated...one of the best band in rock history....
@user-tc7uj5hj1s
Британские группы вообще самые лучшие в мире!
@johnegilellstrm3330
❤️👍
@garysims9379
You are so oo correct Im a huge fan. Love you for mentioning that
@hermanschweizer9717
I did live in Switzerland in the seventies and we felt it was the greatest band coming from Great Britain
@Neilbear5820
R.I.P Dan.
@GetTheMostWanted
that song has so much energy. I really don´t know why it isn`t more popular!
@johnlemaitre3612
Nazareth is by far the best 👌
@derRoteShanks
Was für ein Song... absolut mega... von einem der besten Rock Singer ever... Dan McCafferty RiP