Second Place

Oh, everything is relative.
You have to know that’s true.
What’s good for others may not be
the greatest thing for you.

Yes, everything’s comparative.
You may have lost the race,
but really is there any shame
if you came in third place?

While third place might not be the best,
you know it could be worse.
If you had come in second place,
well, that would be a curse.

‘Cause if you missed by just-that-much
you never will forget.
You’ll always wonder what went wrong.
You’ll live with that regret.

Now some would say that isn’t bad
to miss by just an inch,
but that’s like saying Christmas gifts
are brought my Mr. Grinch.

If you are second, you will know
you were the first to lose.
With third place you are with the crowd.
Hey, which one would you choose?

Now your ideas and my ideas
may not be quite the same.
But then, of course, we both believe
you can’t win every game.

No, there are days when you will lose;
it happens, time to time.
But when you come in second place,
well that is just a crime.

Because you’ll always think of it,
it dwells with you for years.
Yeah, second place can be the worst.
It’s only grief and tears.

But as I age I may have lost
a smidgen off my pace.
Now I would really be quite pleased
to snatch a second place.

Yes, things have changed; it’s different now.
My best is in the past.
But I’m content to still compete
… as long as I’m not last.