Verse 1
The board is set, the pieces laid
I’ve been thinkin’ bout all of the moves you made
Teach me the rules ‘cause I don’t know
Don’t collect two hundred dollars when you pass go
If there’s a risk, I will take it
I was hoping you didn’t fake it
Then you said you need some space,
I agreed, hidden behind my poker face
Chorus 1
I’ve found love was only a game
I’ve been hoping you could come play
Verse 2
What’s the problem? I’ve got no clue
It was you or me -- can I guess who?
The game of life threw me a twist
Wondering what it was I must have missed
I have no chance, this I see
I don’t think I’m getting out of jail for free
I’m playing fair, but it’s no fun
Trying to move forward while stuck in square one
Chorus 2
I’ve found love was only a game
I’ve been hoping you could come play
Outro
I’m tired of these -
I’m tired of these
BOOOOORED GAAAAAAMES
At the beginning of this tune, I was trying to create the image of two people competing against each other in an emotional game of chess. This is reflected in the video.
This is a Monopoly reference, one that will be brought up again later in the song
“Fake it” is kind of a double entendre — it is a set up for the poker face line that follows but also alludes to the practice of faking an orgasm
“I need some space” is a classic soft break-up line. It ends things but also keeps the other party on the hook.
The chorus discusses the entire premise of the song: the narrator feels like the relationship is one-sided and that they are getting played.
Verse two was just about having fun — I tried to get some good references in
This is the point in the song where the narrator is trying to come to grips with what has happened — they wonder who the source of the problem was and go on to blame themselves, questioning if there was something in the relationship they could have predicted this
This is where the narrator begins to understand the nature of the relationship. They liken it to being sent to jail, stuck in square one without hope of escape — they are trapped in this relationship and cannot move on.