I took my girl to go bowling downtown at the red door
after an argument I started
cause I thought she didn't like me anymore
I can't help it sometimes I feel pitiful
and of course she's so young and beautiful

I bought us two glasses of coke
that's her favorite and I wanted to make up for earlier
but I dropped her glass and it broke
so I just gave my glass to her

she laughed and so did I in our lane
and then she went to a vending machine
to buy a candy cane
but right next to that was a boy I knew
with a spring in his hand
playing a country pinball machine
called 'stand by your man'
I saw him talk to her
but I stayed in my lane
and played my game steady
and was thinking of a day
when I'd be too old to throw a ball this heavy

but I guess I'm young now
so it's easier to knock 'em all down
then I looked and saw her say to him
'you're really hittin' that ball around'
and he's lookin' at her the way I did
when I first met her
I could see in his face
white flowers
and cups of coffee
and love letters

I was sorry to [bad word] their game
but I went and did it anyway
I dropped my red bowling ball
through the glass of his machine
I said 'are you quick enough to hit this ball, mr. clean?'
I was scared to lose her
so I couldn't help being mean

and that ended both of our games
I said I was sorry
but my girl left with him just the same
I thought how much I hate when love makes me act this way
I was bent over a broken pinball machine
in a bowling alley and I threw it all away

well isn't it all just a big game?