In college I wanted to do a musical featuring a bunch of songs Id already written, and to make sure I had a cast I wrote it for friends I was sure would do it. One of those friends was an always-a-bridesmaid type who once complained to me that everyone coupled up and left her alone. I imagined her dismissing a failed affair as a growing pain, but then the pain keeps growing turn of phrase occurred to me. Years later the song got interpolated into a show whose creator asked me to write another verse. When I recorded this I could only remember the ropes up couplet, so I wrote the rest anew.

The evening ends In a typical fashion The lovers retire To their nights of passion And I am left To meditate alone The feeling inside Isnt gonna fool me Gone are the days When my feelings rule me The pain is just a sign Of how Ive grown I should have known I NEVER LOVED YOU It was just a growing pain A foolish fancy followed by A passing cloud of rain You trifled with my heartstrings But I knew they wouldnt break There wasnt much at stake It was just a game Perhaps I got a bit Involved in it all Perhaps you made me fall somehow But now its done I see our love was Just a growing pain And yet the pain keeps growing Yet the pain keeps growing Yet the pain keeps growing even now I laughed it off When you put your ropes up It wasnt as though Id had my hopes up The clues were there For anyone to see Our love was the kind That a breeze could scatter And never the kind That could really matter And so it made No difference to me I set you free (Interlude) It was just a game Perhaps I got a bit Involved in it all Perhaps you made me fall somehow But now its done I see our love was Just a growing pain And yet the pain keeps growing Yet the pain keeps growing Yet the pain keeps growing even now Even now