Tom Paxton - Only a game

^AWhile stopping one innocent afternoon For paper and ^E7magazines My attention was drawn to a r^Eiot of color The loveliest I've ever ^Aseen ^AAll in the shape of a plastic cube ^A7Red and yellow and ^Dblue ^D How lovely, I cried, What a ^Aclever design! Great ^E7tell me sir, what does it ^Ado?

^A That's easy, he said as he handled my cash And he dropped the cube into a ^E7sack ^E Some of the colors you twist left or right ^E7Some you twist forward, some ^Aback ^ABefore very long if you're clever at ^A7this You've got all the colors the s^Dame ^DAnd then if you like, you start ^Aover again For it's ^E7fun and it's only a ^Agame.

^A Only a game, only a game. I'm muttering under my ^E7breath ^E Only a game, only a game Like dying is only ^Adeath! ^AI talk to myself as I walk down the street Till old friends all cry, What a ^Dshame! For he used to say 'Hello!' and '^AHow do you do?' All he ^A7says now is '^E7Only a ^Agame'!

^AThat night after dinner, I settled myself Planning to watch some ^E7TV ^ESafe in the warmth of my favorite chair And the bosom of my f^Aamily ^ABasking in fellowship, brimful of cheer I bade my child, Turn on the ^Dtube! And as I was watching my ^Afavorite show I c^E7arelessly picked up the ^Acube

^AI twiddled it this way, I twiddled it that Haha! I exclaimed, This is ^Estrange! ^E7No matter how often I twiddle this cube The blasted thing don't seem to ^Achange! ^AI felt myself growing the slightest bit warm As I twisted and whirled and ^Dspun They tell me they found me there ^Aearly next morn ^A7I was s^E7creaming, By God, nearly ^Adone!

^A For it's only a game, only a game. I'm muttering under my ^E7breath ^E Only a game, only a game Like dying is only ^Adeath! ^AI talk to myself as I walk down the street Till old friends all ^A7cry, What a ^Dshame! For he used to say 'Hello!' and '^AHow do you do?' All he ^E7says now is 'Only a g^Aame'!

^ASomehow I got dressed and they drove me to work And I slowly came out my ^E7haze ^EBy a fierce act of will, I sat down to my tasks - There was talk I might soon earn a ^A7raise ^AThe boss called me into his office at ten And he said to me, Glad that you ^Dcame! For I'm thinking of adding this ^Atoy to our line For it's ^E7fun and it's only a ^Agame!

^AWell, I don't know what happened – ^AI don't want to know I'll have all my life to ^E7repent ^EThey say I did something with that little cube That the boss was obliged to ^Aresent ^AAnd now I get visitors here in my room And they murmur, Poor man, what a s^Dhame! ^DFor he's twisting his ears and he's t^Awiddling his nose And he t^E7ells us it's only a ^Agame!

^A Only a game, only a game. I'm muttering under my ^E7breath ^E Only a game, only a game Like dying is only ^Adeath! ^AI talk to myself as I walk down the street Till old friends all cry, What a ^Dshame! For he used to say 'Hello!' and '^AHow do you do?' All he ^A7says now is '^E7Only a ^Agame'!