The Race Is On

Producer

This is an extended metaphor that compares the protagonist’s love life with horse racing. Jones recorded the song in in June 1963 but it wasn’t released until November… Read More

Nov. 1, 19641 viewer26.5K views

The Race Is On Lyrics

[Verse 1]
I feel tears wellin' up cold and deep inside
Like my heart sprung a big break
And the stab of loneliness, sharp and painful
That I may never shake
Now you might say that I was taking it hard
Since you wrote me off with a call
But don't you wager that I'll hide the sorrow
When I may break right down and bawl

[Chorus]
Now the race is on
And here comes pride up the back stretch
Heartache's a-going to the inside
My tears are holding back
They're trying not to fall
My heart's out of the running
True love's scratched for another's sake
The race is on, and it looks like heartache's
And the winner loses all

[Verse 2]
One day I had ventured in love, never once suspecting
What the final results would be
How I lived in fear of waking up each morning
And finding that you'd gone from me
There's aching and pain in my heart
For the day was the one that I hated to face
Somebody new came up to win her
And I came out in second place

[Chorus]
Now the race is on
And here comes pride up the back stretch
Heartache's a-going to the inside
My tears are holding back
They're trying not to fall
My heart's out of the running
True love's scratched for another's sake
The race is on, and it looks like heartache's
And the winner loses all

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About

Genius Annotation

This is an extended metaphor that compares the protagonist’s love life with horse racing.

Jones recorded the song in in June 1963 but it wasn’t released until November 1964 with the album I Get Lonely in a Hurry. It was a crossover hit for Jones, reaching #3 on the country charts and # 96 on the pop chart.