by Osei Kojo Enoch· Published June 2, 2023· Updated June 2, 2023

“Game Over” is the opening track on the playlist of “Life Is But a Dream…”, the Avenged Sevenfold album that came out on 2 June 2023, courtesy of Warner Records. 

');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();

The band wrote and co-produced this song themselves, with Joe Barresi holding down the other production slot.

Lyrics of “Game Over”

The lyrics, in their own special way, are quite complex, based on how one interprets it. On the surface, i.e. as far as the verses are concerned, they read like a hodgepodge of the vocalist’s thoughts. But it is the chorus and bridge that drives the thesis sentiment home. And it appears to be something along the lines of this.

');var c=function(){cf.showAsyncAd(opts)};if(typeof window.cf !== 'undefined')c();else{cf_async=!0;var r=document.createElement("script"),s=document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0];r.async=!0;r.src="//";r.readyState?r.onreadystatechange=function(){if("loaded"==r.readyState||"complete"==r.readyState)r.onreadystatechange=null,c()}:r.onload=c;s.parentNode.insertBefore(r,s)}; })();

A person can go through his or her life chllin’, i.e. engaging in the types of activities we all normally do if given the opportunity, such as enjoying “daytime TV” for instance. In other words, as theoretically alluded to via by the additional mention of comfortable hand-me-down clothes also in the pre-chorus, what the vocalist may be pointing to is the common human tendency to take things for granted, i.e. not strive for greatness if there doesn’t appear any particular need to do so.

But later down the road of life, he comes to regret adopting such a modus operandi, i.e. ‘never having the will’ to try to make something better of himself when the opportunity to do so was ripe. And in that regard, as illustrated by the title, M. Shadows seems to be taking a fatalistic approach, perhaps, as also implied in the outro, portraying the role of someone who has come to the conclusion that at this point, it’s better to take his own life. 

Or let’s more simply conclude by saying that the subject of this song is likely someone who, as a depressed adult, believes that he has totally missed out on the chance to do something meaningful with his life.

“As it may, as it may, as it may, as it may
As it may, as it may, as it may, as it may”