The Name Of The Game – English Lyrics

• By: ABBA
• Album: Voyage

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the lyrical depth and musical sophistication of ABBA's "The Name Of The Game." This song offers a unique opportunity to learn English through its rich narrative of emotional vulnerability and the quest for understanding in new connections. With Agnetha and Frida's intricate dual lead vocals and a complex composition, it's a captivating journey into advanced pop songwriting that will enhance your language skills while you explore its heartfelt meaning.

[English]

(upbeat music)

♪ I've seen you twice ♪

♪ In a short time ♪

♪ Only a week since we started ♪

♪ It seems to me ♪

♪ For every time ♪

♪ I'm getting more open-hearted ♪

♪ I was an impossible case ♪

♪ No one ever could reach me ♪

♪ But I think I can see in your face ♪

♪ There's a lot you can teach me ♪

♪ So I wanna know ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Does it mean anything to you ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Can you feel it the way I do ♪

♪ Tell me please ♪

♪ 'Cause I have to know ♪

♪ I'm a bashful child ♪

♪ Beginning to grow ♪

♪ And you make me talk ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ And you make me feel ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ And you make me show ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ What I'm trying to conceal ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ If I trust in you ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ Would you let me down ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ Would you laugh at me ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ If I said I care for you ♪

♪ Ah, ah ♪

♪ Could you feel the same way, too ♪

♪ I wanna know ♪

♪ The name of the game ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ I have no friends ♪

♪ No one to see ♪

♪ And I am never invited ♪

♪ Now I am here ♪

♪ Talking to you ♪

♪ No wonder I get excited ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ Your smile, and the sound of your voice ♪

♪ And the way you see through me ♪

♪ Got a feeling, you give me no choice ♪

♪ But it means a lot to me ♪

♪ So I wanna know ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Your smile and the sound of your voice ♪

♪ Does it mean anything to you ♪

♪ Got a feeling you give me no choice ♪

♪ But it means a lot ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Your smile and the sound of your voice ♪

♪ Can you feel it the way I do ♪

♪ Tell me please ♪

♪ 'Cause I have to know ♪

♪ I'm a bashful child ♪

♪ Beginning to grow ♪

(upbeat music continues)

♪ And you make me talk ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ And you make me feel ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ And you make me show ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ What I'm trying to conceal ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ If I trust in you ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ Would you let me down ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ Would you laugh at me ♪ ♪ Doo-doo, doo-doo ♪

♪ If I said I care for you ♪

♪ Ah-ah ♪

♪ Could you feel the same way, too ♪

♪ I wanna know ♪

♪ Oh, yes, I wanna know ♪

♪ The name of the game ♪

♪ I was an impossible case ♪

♪ Does it mean anything to you ♪

♪ But I think I can see in your face ♪

♪ That it means a lot ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Your smile and the sound of your voice ♪

♪ Can you feel it the way I do ♪

♪ Got a feeling you give me no choice ♪

♪ But it means a lot ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ I was an impossible case ♪

♪ Does it mean anything to you ♪

♪ But I think I can see in your face ♪

♪ That it means a lot ♪

♪ What's the name of the game ♪

♪ Your smile and the sound of your voice ♪

♪ Can you feel it the way I ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
trust /trʌst/ B1	verb - to believe in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something noun - firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something
feel /fiːl/ A2	verb - to experience an emotion or sensation
laugh /læf/ A2	verb - to make the sounds and movements of the face and body that are typical of amusement or happiness
care /keər/ A2	verb - to feel concern or interest
voice /vɔɪs/ B1	noun - the sound produced in a person's larynx and uttered through the mouth, as speech or song
smile /smaɪl/ A1	noun - a facial expression formed by flexing the muscles near and around the mouth verb - to form a smile
grow /ɡroʊ/ A2	verb - to increase in size or amount
case /keɪs/ B1	noun - a particular instance of something
teach /tiːtʃ/ A2	verb - to give knowledge of or instruction in
excited /ɪkˈsaɪtɪd/ B1	adjective - very enthusiastic and eager
conceal /kənˈsiːl/ B2	verb - to prevent something from being known
invite /ɪnˈvaɪt/ A2	verb - to ask someone to go somewhere or do something
choice /tʃɔɪs/ B1	noun - the act of selecting someone or something
begin /bɪˈɡɪn/ A2	verb - to start
impossible /ɪmˈpɒsəbl/ B2	adjective - not able to occur or be done

Key Grammar Structures

• I've seen you twice

  ➔ Present Perfect (I've seen)

  ➔ Used to describe an action that happened at an unspecified time before now, with the result still relevant. The speaker is emphasizing the experience of seeing someone.

• It seems to me

  ➔ Subject + seems + to + infinitive

  ➔ Expresses an opinion or observation. 'It' is a dummy subject; the real subject is in the implied clause.

• I'm getting more open-hearted

  ➔ Comparative Adjective (more open-hearted)

  ➔ Shows a change or increase in a quality. 'More' is used because the adjective is multi-syllabic.

• There's a lot you can teach me

  ➔ Quantifier + noun phrase + relative clause

  ➔ 'There's' is the contraction of 'there is'. The relative clause 'you can teach me' modifies 'a lot'.

• So I wanna know

  ➔ Contracted verb + infinitive

  ➔ Common contraction of 'want to' + infinitive verb 'know'.

• Can you feel it the way I do

  ➔ Question with auxiliary verb, adverbial phrase of manner (the way I do)

  ➔ A question asking if someone experiences something in the same way as the speaker, using a comparative construction.

• I'm a bashful child

  ➔ Subject + be verb + adjective + noun

  ➔ A simple descriptive sentence using the linking verb 'am' to connect the subject to a description.

• Beginning to grow

  ➔ Gerund/Infinitive; beginning + infinitive

  ➔ In this case, the verb 'beginning' is followed by the infinitive verb 'to grow', to explain the state of growing up

• If I said I care for you

  ➔ Second Conditional

  ➔ Expresses an unreal or hypothetical situation in the present or future. The condition is contrary to fact.