π΅ Lyrics
[Intro]
Five in the morning, I turn on the TV
A flash of green turf fills my eyes
The greens of Mexico, the gold of South Africa
Ah, this season's come again
[Verse 1]
I was just a boy who dreamed of Captain Tsubasa
Manga stacked on my bookshelf, head full of goals
Morning practice on the school ground, soccer club, sixth grade
Couldn't dribble to save my life β but I ran anyway
Everyone around me had been playing for years
Tactics, formations β I didn't understand a thing
But I loved it, I loved chasing that ball
Something in my chest was burning, wouldn't go out
[Pre-Chorus]
Lungs on fire, legs giving out
Never knew what was holding me back
The vice-captain's voice cut through the air:
\"You can do better\" β but my name was the bad example
[Chorus]
Jersey number 12, a bench-warmer's summer
Never made the starting lineup
But not once β not even once β
Did I ever stop loving this game
You don't have to be good, you don't have to know everything
Just scream when the ball hits the back of the net
Nothing's changed now that I'm in my 40s
That same heart that fell for Tsubasa β it's still right here
[Verse 2]
I found out I was anemic
From a blood test I took for a cold
Two months of treatment β then I ran out on that field
And the kid who used to lap last found himself leading the pack
The stamina came back, but the time never did
Three years of middle school, never once in the main lineup
And that's okay β it really was okay
Those days on the bench built the man I am today
[Pre-Chorus]
Living room sofa, the whole family lined up
My kids look up and ask:
\"Dad, when's the next match?\"
That one line β that's all I need
[Chorus]
Jersey number 12, a bench-warmer's summer
Never made the starting lineup
But not once β not even once β
Did I ever stop loving this game
You don't have to be good, you don't have to know everything
Just scream when the ball hits the back of the net
Nothing's changed now that I'm in my 40s
That same heart that fell for Tsubasa β it's still right here
[Bridge]
Ronaldo, Messi, Yamal, Haaland
My kids flip through their soccer cards
\"How old is he?\" \"How tall?\"
Eyes shining, comparing every stat
I'm not gonna force it, they don't have to love it
Just laugh with their friends on a big match day
That's enough β that's more than enough
And Dad will be right there, quietly cheering from the side
Every game on DAZN, gathered round the Fire TV
No more worrying about recordings, no more dragging myself up at 3 AM
Not anymore β watch what you want, when you want it
This summer's happiness β it's right here
[Final Chorus]
Jersey number 12 β hey, kid, this one's for you
It was good to be a sub, good to keep running
This love for the game β
Forty years on, it hasn't changed one bit
You don't have to be good, you don't have to know everything
Just scream when the ball hits the back of the net
Side by side with family, right in front of the TV
That alone β that's the festival of a lifetime
[Outro]
Five in the morning, I turn on the TV
A flash of green turf fills my eyes
Ah, soccer is something else
Sports are something else
That kid in jersey number 12
Is still out there today, chasing the ball
ββAlways. Always. Never changing.
π΅ Full lyrics & more at: hatchy99.substack.com
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