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Raspy-voiced rocker Bob Seger has been belting out rock anthems for 50 years — “Night Moves,” “Against the Wind,” “Like a Rock,” “Turn the Page,” “We’ve Got Tonight,” “Old Time Rock and Roll.” Seger also co-wrote The Eagles’ hit “Heartache Tonight.”

Another Seger tune, a bit less known than the above, is “Still the Same” from 1978. It always intrigued me because the lyrics are so vague. Is it about gambling? Lost love? Staying one step ahead of commitment?

A few weeks ago, I ran across a quote from Seger that, assuming it is genuine, explains the meaning.

“People have asked me for years who this is about,” Seger said. “It’s an amalgam of characters I met when I first went to Hollywood. All ‘Type A’ personalities, over-achieving, driven.”

That’s good to know. But I’ll always hear the story of a hard-hearted woman — still the same, moving game to game.

Bob Seger and Bruce Springstein, 1980.

Still the Same

By Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band, 1978
Written by Bob Seger

You always won,
Every time you placed a bet.
You’re still damn good.
No one’s gotten to you yet.

Every time
They were sure they had you caught,
You were quicker than they thought.
You’d just turn your back and walk.

You always said
The cards would never do you wrong.
The trick, you said,
Was never play the game too long.

A gambler’s share —
The only risk that you would take.
The only loss you could forsake.
The only bluff you couldn’t fake.

And you’re still the same.
I caught up with you yesterday,
Moving game to game,
No one standing in your way.

Turning on the charm
Long enough to get you by.
You’re still the same.
You still aim high.

There you stood.
Everybody watched you play.
I just turned and walked away.
I had nothing left to say.

‘Cause you’re still the same.
You’re still the same.
Moving game to game.
Some things never change.
You’re still the same.