Badfinger – Name Of The Game…Sunday Album Cut

This song was off the album Straight Up which is in my top 5 of power pop albums.

George Harrison helped produce and mix this  album and was impressed by this song. It was earmarked to be the first single off the album. That got cancelled. Not that the song couldn’t be a single because it is that good. Day After Day and Baby Blue were the first two singles and I can’t fault George for that.

There were many possible singles from this album. Suitcase, Sweet Tuesday Morning, Take It All and I’d Die Babe are songs that could have been considered.

If you are new to Badfinger and would like to start with an album that is not a greatest hits package…Straight Up is the album to purchase.

Name of the Game

I saw the railway master and I looked him in the eye
I said, “Would you go much faster if you thought that you would die?”
He said, “Not me sir, I could not care, in fact, I would not try.
For protest would not take me far.
It’s different, me not being a star.”
I lock my feelings in a jar until another day

Oh, comfort me, dear brother, won’t you tell me what you know?
For somewhere in this painful world is a place where I can go
Oh, long awaiting mother, is it time to make a show?
And take your babies to your breast
No, we never passed the test
And all our sins should be confessed before we carry on

[CHORUS:]
Oh, don’t refuse me
If you choose me, you’ll follow my shame
No, don’t confuse me
For I know it’s the name of the game

I got up off my pillow and I looked up at the sun
I said, “You can see quite clearly, now, the things that we have done
We burned your sacred willow and our battles we have won.
But did we get so very far?
It’s different, me not being a star.”
I lock my feelings in a jar until we go away

[CHORUS x2]

Author: badfinger20 (Max)

Power Pop fan, Baseball fan, old movie and tv show fan... and a songwriter, bass and guitar player.

35 thoughts on “Badfinger – Name Of The Game…Sunday Album Cut”

      2. Next time I’m going to feature the guitar player writing and singing one…well the other guitar player other than Pete Ham. He wasn’t as good as Pete but still good. Joey Molland…he is the only surviving member now.

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    1. It is that good…if someone was to start with an album by them that is not a greatest hits…this would be it… sorry for the delay…I was under the weather today…feel better now

      Liked by 1 person

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  3. Another great tune from talented craftsmen. Badfinger was great. No doubt. They get a lot of love in classic rock circles and it’s justified. They are like the Pixies in alternative rock, though they had more commercial success than the Pixies. A rare band that music fans love, but not as much as the critics do.

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    1. They are good. Now Baby Blue to me…is the perfect power pop song. Tone of the guitar, his voice, and that riff… but yea their non hits…some I do like better…like Midnight Caller.

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  5. Like run-sew-read notes, a really good song (which is a new one to me) but not quite there with their hit singles.But…everytime you post some obscure Badfinger song, it sounds quite good. Truly under-rated band.

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      1. Glad you are feeling better! I tried to find that album at library and they don’t have anything but Badfinger’s greatest hits 😦 I might have to break down and buy one lol

        Liked by 1 person

      1. I think they were still applying the unwritten rule of “under 3 minutes,” though there had already been a number of songs that exceeded that. There were some stations that would speed up their turntables so they could play more commercials…

        Liked by 1 person

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