The End of the Game
"The End of the Game" | |||||
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Single by Weezer | |||||
Album | Van Weezer | ||||
Released | September 10, 2019 | ||||
Recorded | 2019 | ||||
Length | 3:01 | ||||
Label | Crush Music/Atlantic Records | ||||
Writer(s) | Rivers Cuomo, Tim Pagnotta | ||||
Producer(s) | Suzy Shinn | ||||
Status | officially released | ||||
Live debut | September 10, 2019 | ||||
Stream | ![]() |
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Weezer singles chronology | |||||
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Van Weezer track listing | |||||
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Promotional cover art
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This song is part of the "The End of the Game" lineage of songs
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"The End of the Game" is the third track and lead single from Van Weezer. It was released on September 10, 2019.
Overview

The lyric "All I want is to be wanted by you" suggests that "The End of the Game" may be the same song as (or, at least, appropriates elements from) the song "What I Want Is to Be Wanted", a track co-written by Rivers Cuomo and Tim Pagnotta in 2014, according to the ASCAP/BMI song database. On August 23, 2019, Pagnotta posted a selfie to his Instagram page with the caption "Jammin’ new @Weezer I worked on :)".[1]
On September 6, 2019, the song leaked onto the American television music service Music Choice. The song was officially unveiled, with its accompanying music video, alongside the official announcement of the Hella Mega Tour on September 10. Weezer performed the song live for the first time the same day at a secret show in West Hollywood. The song was performed on Jimmy Kimmel Live! the following day, on September 11.
During an Island in the Zoom webinar on May 2, Cuomo and producer Suzy Shinn mentioned that they went through several iterations of names for the love interest. They even considered Jimmy, but felt that it would be one too many Weezer references for the song.
"The End of the Game" was initially listed as the first track on Van Weezer, prior to the formal confirmation of the album's track list on April 20, 2021.[2]
"The End of the Game" Game
On March 26, 2020, a browser-based video game titled "The End of the Game" Game was released on the website theendofthegamegame.com. The game is a side-scrolling arcade-style shooter game in which the player controls one of four members of Weezer in attempt to defeat the alien from the song's music video. After defeating the alien, the player must navigate a screen filled with invisible traps in order to claim the "prize". Upon reaching the goal, the browser links to a YouTube video of Rick Astley's "Never Gonna Give You Up" (an example of the "Rickrolling" prank that became popular on the internet around 2007). The game claims on startup that there are 778 prizes left. Upon clicking the text "Contest Rules", they are linked to an online dictionary entry for "Hero".
"The End of the Game" Game was created by game designer Jason Oda, who previously developed games such as Continue?9876543210 and Skrillex Quest.
Music video/audio
In August of 2019, a casting call was posted to backstage.com looking for extras to play "Weezer party goers" in an upcoming music video.[3] The music video was released on September 10, 2019. It was directed by Danilo Parra.
Personnel
- Rivers Cuomo - lead vocals, guitar
- Brian Bell - guitar, backing vocals
- Scott Shriner - bass, backing vocals
- Pat Wilson - drums
- Suzy Shinn - producer
- Joe LaPorta - mastering
- John Sinclair - assistant engineer
- Johnny Morgan - assistant engineer
- Josh Skinner - assistant engineer
- Lizzy Ostro - assistant engineer
- Mike Fasano - drum technician
- Wesley Seidman - engineer
Lyrics
Hey, Suzy, where you been today?
I'm looking for you every way
No sign of you when I wake up
I'm on an island with no sun
I feel like I've known you my whole life
You got me cryin' like when Aslan died
Now you're gone
The melody can't find you
I'm incomplete without you
I guess we've reached the end of the game
Ooo-oo hit me
I know that you would crank this song
Air guitar-ing with your headphones on
We dig the same type of melodies
The ones to get you next to me
I was Mick and you were Marianne
You would harmonize when I felt bad
But now you're gone
The melody can't find you
I'm incomplete without you
I guess we've reached the end of the game
Ooo-oo hit me
Am I your go-to
Or am I uncool?
With all of these extremes that I go to
All I want is to be wanted by you
All I want is to be wanted by you
But the melody can't find you
I'm incomplete without you
I guess we've reached the end of the game
Ooo-oo hit me
Known recordings
Performer(s) | Title | Filename | Date of recording | Recording location | Length | Appeared on | Notes |
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Rivers Cuomo | What I Want Is to Be Wanted | what i wanted Ideas 7-1-2013 13h21m.mp3 | July 1, 2013 | ||||
Rivers Cuomo | What I Want Is to Be Wanted | what i wanted Ideas 7-1-2013 13h21m.3gp | July 1, 2013 | Likely same as above recording | |||
Rivers Cuomo | What I Want Is to Be Wanted | What I Want Is To Be Wanted 2.m4a | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | What I Want Is to Be Wanted | What I Want Is To Be Wanted 2 LEAD V.m4a | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | What I Want Is to Be Wanted | What I Want Is To Be Wanted 6.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | Can't Find You | Can't Find You 3.mp3 | 2015 | 0:40 | Alone XII: The White Year | Chorus later became "The End of the Game" | |
Rivers Cuomo | Can't Find You | Can't Find You 5 @100 +1.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | Can't Find You | Can't Find You 6 @102 +2 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | June Bride | June Bride 10.mp3 | 2015 | 0:36 | Alone XII: The White Year | Bridge from "The End of the Game" | |
Rivers Cuomo | The End of the Game | The End Of The Game 8 #00 @102 +1 BG Van Weezer 9.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | The End of the Game | The End Of The Game 9 @102 +1 BG Van Weezer 10.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | The End of the Game | The End Of The Game 10 @102 +1 BG Van Weezer 11.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | The End of the Game | end of the game BG Van Weezer 29.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo | The End of the Game | end of the game two bridge options.mp3 | |||||
Rivers Cuomo/Weezer(?) | The End of the Game | The End of the Game 062519 2_01.mp3 | June 25, 2019 | ||||
Rivers Cuomo/Weezer(?) | The End of the Game | The End of the Game 073119 bridge edit.mp3 | July 31, 2019 | ||||
Rivers Cuomo/Weezer(?) | The End of the Game | the end of the game 080119 5.mp3 | August 1, 2019 | ||||
Weezer | The End of the Game | 2020 |
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3:01 | Van Weezer | ||
Weezer | The End of the Game | 03. The End Of The Game (Instrumental).flac | 2020 |
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3:01 | Leaked online | Instrumental version of final mix. Leaked online in 2021. |
See also
References
- ↑ Pagnotta, Tim. Instagram. 23 August 2019. https://www.weezerpedia.com/wiki/File:Timpagnotta_instagram.png
- ↑ Amazon. Archived on 20 April 2020. http://web.archive.org/web/20210420163925/https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07XGN4PT7?pf_rd_r=H4EQQ9AKQ314MEMEQM2W&pf_rd_p=5ae2c7f8-e0c6-4f35-9071-dc3240e894a8&pd_rd_r=ba569412-19a9-454d-a942-207a616fb0cd&pd_rd_w=2O1UB&pd_rd_wg=AHU2D&ref_=pd_gw_unk
- ↑ Backstage. 2019. https://www.backstage.com/casting/weezer-music-video-extras-for-party-scene-312219/