It's All In the Game
Nena Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

There was an old man
Who was robbing himself blind
For too many years
The only thing he stole was time
He gambled with only a moment to spare
His destiny close - he could taste it in the air
Seized him without warning
Disarmed him of his plans
But the odds were even
He'd won a second chance
He laughed and said
It's all in the game
Remember that
Winning isn't everything

Live to the limit
And listen to your heart
Don't let life leave you
Standing in the dark
Luck fades away
But the spirit never dies
It's all in the game
Keep the fire in your eyes

Break in a sweat
Pull up your collar and cuff
Tryin' your best
Sometimes your best ain't good enough
Some people spend years at a time
Other people spend every nickel and dime
You're gonna have to play
Or pay the consequence
Lay your money down
Or put in down to experience
Remember that
It's all in the game
Don't forget
Winning isn't everything

Live to the limit
And listen to your heart
Don't let life leave you
Standing in the dark
Luck fades away
But the spirit never dies
It's all in the game
Keep the fire in your eyes

Break in a sweat
Pull up your collar and cuff
Tryin' your best
Sometimes your best ain't good enough
Some people spend years at a time
Other people spend every nickel and dime
You're gonna have to play
Or pay the consequence
Lay your money down
Or put in down to experience
Remember that
It's all in the game
Don't forget
Winning isn't everything

Live to the limit
And listen to your heart
Don't let life leave you
Standing in the dark
Luck fades away
But the spirit never dies
It's all in the game
Keep the fire in your eyes
Live to the limit
And listen to your heart
Don't let life leave you
Standing in the dark
Luck fades away
But the spirit never dies




It's all in the game
Keep the fire in your eyes

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nena's song, "It's All in the Game," convey a message of perseverance and determination. The first verse speaks of an old man who has been wasting his time for many years, only to realize that his opportunity at success was quickly approaching. Suddenly, fate intervenes, and the man's plans are disrupted. Despite this setback, the man remains optimistic and sees his second chance as an opportunity to succeed. He reminds listeners that life is a game, and winning isn't everything.


The chorus of the song encourages listeners to push themselves to their limits and never let life leave them standing in the dark. Luck may come and go, but the spirit never fades. The second verse speaks to the idea that everyone has to play the game, whether they want to or not. Some people may spend years trying to succeed, while others may spend everything they have. However, regardless of the journey, everyone must lay their money down, take a chance, and trust in their abilities. Once again, the chorus reminds listeners to never forget that it's all in the game, and winning isn't everything.


These lyrics demonstrate that life is full of opportunities and challenges, and it's up to each individual to seize the moment and make the best of their situation. Sometimes the road to success is difficult, and setbacks can be discouraging, but it's essential to keep pushing forward and never give up hope.


Line by Line Meaning

There was an old man
The story begins with an old man who has been wasting his own time for too many years.


Who was robbing himself blind
Despite being old, the man has been continuously doing meaningless things which are of no use.


For too many years
The man has been indulging in such activities for an extended period.


The only thing he stole was time
He hasn't got anything in return for his efforts except losing his precious time.


He gambled with only a moment to spare
The man took a chance and bet on something when he had very little time left to make things right.


His destiny close - he could taste it in the air
The man felt like he was close to his destiny and he could sense it in the atmosphere.


Seized him without warning
Something unexpected happened and caught him off guard.


Disarmed him of his plans
The unexpected happening dismantled his previous plans, and he had to start over from scratch.


But the odds were even
Despite all the setbacks, there was still a slight chance of him succeeding.


He'd won a second chance
The man got another opportunity to make things right.


He laughed and said
The man laughed and said,


It's all in the game
It doesn't matter what happens in life, you should enjoy it for what it is, and not take it too seriously.


Remember that
The man thought it's important to keep reminding yourself of this fact.


Winning isn't everything
The man realized that winning is not always everything in life.


Live to the limit
We should live life to the fullest and not waste time on trivial things.


And listen to your heart
We should follow our passions and listen to our inner self.


Don't let life leave you
Don't sit back and let life happen to you, take charge of it.


Standing in the dark
Don't put yourself in a position where you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.


Luck fades away
Luck is a temporary thing that fades away with time.


But the spirit never dies
However, the spirit never dies, and it should be kept alive no matter what.


Keep the fire in your eyes
Keep the passion and fire alive in your life.


Break in a sweat
Put in efforts and work hard.


Pull up your collar and cuff
Get serious about your plans and put yourself to work.


Tryin' your best
Do your best in everything you pursue.


Sometimes your best ain't good enough
Even after putting all the efforts, one may not succeed as per the plan.


Some people spend years at a time
Some people put in years of effort to achieve their goal.


Other people spend every nickel and dime
Others put in lots of money and effort to achieve their goals.


You're gonna have to play
To achieve anything in life, you have to work for it.


Or pay the consequence
If one doesn't work for it, they will have to face the consequences of not working.


Lay your money down
To achieve your goal, you will have to invest in yourself.


Or put in down to experience
If you don't succeed at first, learn from the experience and try again.


Don't forget
This is an important thing to remember.


Live to the limit
We should live life to the fullest and not waste time on trivial things.


And listen to your heart
We should follow our passions and listen to our inner self.


Don't let life leave you
Don't sit back and let life happen to you, take charge of it.


Standing in the dark
Don't put yourself in a position where you can't see the light at the end of the tunnel.


Luck fades away
Luck is a temporary thing that fades away with time.


But the spirit never dies
However, the spirit never dies, and it should be kept alive no matter what.


Keep the fire in your eyes
Keep the passion and fire alive in your life.




Contributed by Gavin I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions