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The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am Lyrics by William Finn

In Trousers

1979

["The Nausea Before the Game"]
[MARVIN]
It's the nausea before the game
And the pain that won't subside in winter
It's the knees that threaten to go bad
The body that you thought you had, that lied
It's the scores that go unanswered and unsatisfied:
The growing up, the falling down
The throwing up, the shame
The silent prayers, the nausea
The game
It's anxiety when you recall
Girls who touch you when you're walking down the hall
Nausea before the game
Nausea before the game
[LADIES]
It's the promise of a perfect life
A perfect house
A perfect wife she'll be
[MARVIN]
It's the promise of a perfect star
Who's me
[ALL]
The growing up, the falling down
The throwing up, the shame
The silent prayers, the nausea
The game
[MARVIN]
The sneaking in, the passing out
And where to place the blame
The dying swans, the nausea
The game
[ALL]
Nananananan nausea
Nahoodyooayahsoblue
Nanananananausea
Nanananananausea
[MARVIN]
Hut!
[LADIES]
Pray for him
[MARVIN]
Hut!
[LADIES]
Pray for us all
[MARVIN]
Hut!
[LADIES]
But pray for the boy
With the ball
[MARVIN]
There is something lacking in my play
There are rules I must not be aware of
If I touch her breast, would she applaud?
Would she protest? Appeal to God?
And weep?
If I touch her would she let me fall
Asleep?
I touch her eyes, her lips are warm
Her nose is much the same
We're waiting for the whistle sound
She strokes my head and turns around
I hear my name
Then NAUSEA
The game...
["Love Me For What I Am"]
[HIS WIFE]
I met a man
In the can
Wouldn't you know he was going my way?
We talked till four
He talked more
I was afraid I'd turn and say:
"Love me for what I am
Not what I try to be
Love me for what I am, I am...
Someone imperfectly me."
The lights were low
Don't you know
He gave a phony home address
Then, after weeks
Guess who speaks:
"Darling," he says, and I say "Yes
Love me for what I am
Not what I try to be
Love me for what I am, I am...
A person who likes to lie too much
I try to much
To impress other people
Often my inferiors."
[WIFE]
“Could you like a girl like that?
Could you like a girl like that?
Would you hold her in your arms?
Could you like a girl like that?
Could you like a girl like that?
Could you like a girl like that?"
[TEACHER]
Love, love, love, love
Love, love, love, love
[SWEETHEART]
A person who likes to lie too much. I try too much to impress other people, often my inferiors
[HIS WIFE]
We lay in bed
He plays dead
I play a game with sound and light
Don't need a quiz
I'm all his
"Darling," he says, "we might survive the night
Love me for what I am
Not what I try to be
Love me for what I am, I am
Someone imperfectly me
Someone imperfectly me."
Credits
William Finn

William Finn

About “The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am” by William Finn

Read the complete lyrics to "The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am" by William Finn from the album "In Trousers" in 1979. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under Musicals, Pop.

"The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am" is performed by William Finn. from the album "In Trousers" in 1979 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am", explore more songs by William Finn using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

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Frequently asked questions

"The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am" is credited to William Finn. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"The Nausea Before the Game/Love Me For What I Am" appears on "In Trousers" in 1979.

Visit the William Finn artist page at /artist/william-finn for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.