You always won every time you placed a bet
You're still damn good, no one's gotten to you yet
Every time they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You'd just turn your back and walk
You always said the cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said, was never play the game too long
A gambler's share, the only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldn't fake
And you're still the same
I caught up with you yesterday (still the same, still the same)
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by (still the same, still the same)
You're still the same
You still aim high
(Still the same, still the same)
(Still the same, still the same)
There you stood
Everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say
'Cause you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Moving game to game (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Some things never change (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Oh, you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still damn good, no one's gotten to you yet
Every time they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You'd just turn your back and walk
You always said the cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said, was never play the game too long
A gambler's share, the only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldn't fake
And you're still the same
I caught up with you yesterday (still the same, still the same)
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by (still the same, still the same)
You're still the same
You still aim high
(Still the same, still the same)
(Still the same, still the same)
There you stood
Everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say
'Cause you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
You're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Moving game to game (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Some things never change (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Oh, you're still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Still the same (still the same, baby, baby, still the same)
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
You always won everytime you placed a bet
You're still damn good
No one's gotten to you yet
Everytime they were sure they had you caught
You were quicker than they thought
You'd just turn your back and walk
---Pretty much every time she wanted someone she could get them. If they wanted her she would just walk away so she didn't get attached.---
You always said
The cards would never do you wrong
The trick you said
Was never play the game too long
A gambler's share
The only risk that you would take
The only loss you could forsake
The only bluff you couldn't fake
--- Playing the field *cards* was perfect bec she'd never have to settle down.
The trick was to never stay with someone too long *never play the game too long*
and she wouldnt take the risk to stay with someone or fall in love.
and i think maybe she fell in love with him... and wouldn't admit it (lied to herself and him)
And you're still the same
I caught up with you yesterday
Moving game to game
No one standing in your way
Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by
You're still the same
You still aim high
---she's still looking for the perfect guy *still aim high* and she moves from man to man *game to game* turning on the charm. She leaves before she gets too attached and stays long enough for her to get something out of it *long enough to get you by*
There you stood
Everybody watched you play
I just turned and walked away
I had nothing left to say
'Cause you're still the same
You're still the same
Moving game to game
Some things never change
You're still the same
---all her friends watched her go from man to man. He couldn't stand it anymore so he *walked away* and he's given up on her because she's still the same... She's still a player... and he doesn't think she'll ever change. He's given up on her
"Still the Same"
Charted at #4.
Seger: "It's an amalgamation of characters I met when I first went to Hollywood. All Type A personalities...It was another great reason to base out of Michigan." Gary Graff, October 1994, Detroit Free Press. "Bob Seger Tells The Stories Behind The Hits."
Seger describes "Still the Same" as "a good song, but so medium." Seger says Capitol picked it as the single, Capitol says Bob and Punch picked it. Author? August 1978. Magazine?
Seger: "The person that I'm singing about...they're just very charismatic, but they have tremendous faults, but part of the appeal is the charisma. You overlook everything because of the charisma. That's a gift and a curse. I was actually writing about several people that I had met throughout my lifetime..." Interview on Later with Bob Costas.
Great songs can rarely be understood by looking at the lyrics in isolation from the music. This piece is a great example - the music creates the tone for the lyrics. The lyrics on their own might be said by someone who is resentful, or just laughing at someone who is a fool. But the music is so very sad that the lyrics take on a sense of wistfulness, and unresolved feelings of what must be love.
I also can't help but think it's about an Annie Dukes (No offense meant Annie) type woman who is a professional gambler. It's kinda fun to look at it that way some times.
I think this is a little story about the narrator catching up with an old friend of his. He's using poker as a metaphor for his friends' life. Back in the day, he was pretty cool and a lucky dude. I somewhat take this as his friend's luck with the ladies. 'The trick you said is to never play the game too long' maybe means he goes from girl to girl. He had his own way of doing things, and the narrator could've quite possibly idolized him. Now several years later, he ends up catching up to this old friend of his. The narrator has grown up and matured quite a bit. he's changed his ways and he sees his friend, who has still remained the same. This also somewhat makes the narrator sad, because the friend of his is still living his so-called charmed life. And all that the narrator could do was walk away, cuz nothing was left to say to him.
The tone of the song seems to be a sad tone, like feeling sorry for the guy....
But that's what I get out of it
On a superficial level, yes, this song is about the "casino-style" gambling of a friend. Just as on a superficial level, "Against the Wind" is about running.
After some mild digging, we realize this song is about the friend himself. The singer sounds like he's praising the friend.
But if we dig further into the words chosen, if we look harder at the tonal changes in context, it's all but clear that the singer's praise is satirical and pitying.
Bob Seger doesn't deliver a single wasted word in this song. "Still The Same" is ambiguous only to the extent that it is too rich for -everyone- to take the time to break it apart. People are free to enjoy "Still The Same" at whatever level they choose. When I was younger, I just enjoyed the simple combination of piano & drums.
The purpose of this site, however, is to analyze each song and to develop its -full- meaning. A visitor to this site implicitly accepts that his song interpretation may be only part of that full meaning.
If you want to add to that full meaning by imparting how the song affects you, I'm not stopping you. Part of any song's meaning is the subjective reaction of each listener. Your subjective meaning is not wrong.
Nevertheless, A song's inherent meaning is only that which can be derived from the music itself. The inherent meaning will explain every single word and tone of the song. The "song is about gambling" interpretation doesn't explain the character exposition. The "comfort" interpretation doesn't explain the odd "still aim high" tonal change, or why the friend walked away.
The song's -inherent- meaning extends to a certain point and then stops. The point at which that inherent meaning stops may be short of a visitor's subjective meaning, or may go beyond the visitor's subjective meaning.
Here, the song's inherent extends past gambling. It extends past praise or comfort. It extends past those areas into the realm of satire, pity, and resignation--and then stops.
-------------------------------
Nowadays, when I hear this song, I think of an old girlfriend of mine. But that's my subjective meaning that I -add- to the song. It's not what the song really means, it's just what it means to me.
It's inherent meaning is, pardon the pun, still the same.
----------------
(First verse)
The friend had all the appearance of success. After all, no one can say he'd lost anything, because he'd depart before any loss could be associated with him.
(Second verse)
The friend always harped about his secret to success. His "trick" was that he couldn't possibly lose what he doesn't invest. But the friend's belief was a "bluff" that never convinced the singer--nor possibly himself.
(Chorus)
Time passed, but the friend didn't change. He never threw himself fully into anything, and he's not affected by anyone. Instead, he just used his charm to "get by" through life despite his "high aim."
And the friend kept doing what he's always done. In the end, he's surrounded by strangers who don't interact with him, just as the singer couldn't interact with him. The singer decided his friend can't change, and cut his own losses.
--------------------
Crawlspace, while I can imagine Seger "taking comfort" from a friend who never changed his playboy attitude, I don't agree with that idea for two reasons.
The first big clue is the line, "The only bluff you couldn't fake." Seger says this in regard to what his friend "always said" about a "gambler's share."
But follow me back back to the first verse. Note that Seger isn't saying that his friend wins. He says his friend wins only "when he places a bet." Seger has simply framed the friend's loss avoidance in the positive. The rest of the song talks about how the friend doesn't stick around to play. His friend isn't a winner--he just doesn't lose. (Is that something we can take comfort in?)
The second clue is the risen tone of "You still aim high." Seger had just mentioned a) how he "caught up with" the friend, b) no one blocks the friend's path, and c) charm is used "long enough to get [the friend] by". These all say that the friend isn't moving up; in fact, he's not going anywhere. So why does Seger raise his voice on "You still aim high"? Its message and tone are off from the rest of the song--which tells us it's probably meant to be ironic. (Is it a rebuke? If ever heard by the friend, it would be.)
I read a pleading, melancholy tone into the song, but Seger is skilled enough to keep the song ambiguous enough that we have room to disagree. However, what we can all agree on, I think, is that this song's main theme is resignation. (Be it of the satisfied or chagrined varieties.)