I fell on the playing field
the work of an errant heel
the din of the crowd and the [bad word] 
went deafening silence and stopped emotion
the season was almost done
we managed it 12 to 1
so far I had known no humiliation
in front of my friends and close relations

There's my father looking on
and there's my girlfriend arm in arm
with the captain of the other team
and all of this is clear to me
they condescend and fix on me a frown
how they love the sporting life

And father had had such hopes
for a son who would take the ropes
and fulfill all his old athletic aspirations
but apparently now there's [bad word] 
but while I am lying here
trying to fight the tears
I'll prove to the crowd that [bad word] out stronger
though I think I might lie here a little longer

There's my coach he's looking down
the disappointment in his knitted brow
"I should've known,"
he thinks again
"I never should have put him in."
he turns to throw the lemonade away
and breathes in deep
the sporting life
the sporting life
the sporting life
how he loves...

There's my father looking on
and there's my girlfriend arm in arm
with the captain of the other team
and all of this is clear to me
they condescend and fix on me a frown
the sporting life
the sporting life 
the sporting life
how they love...