The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
Sit down, take a look at yourself
Don't you want to be somebody?
Someday somebody's gonna see inside
You have to face up, you can't run and hide.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
Unlucky at love at least that's what they say
He lost his head and he gambled his heart away
He still keeps searching though there's nothing left
Staked his heart and lost, now he has to pay the cost
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
"It's okay." he smiles and says
But this loneliness is driving him crazy.
He don't show what goes on in his head
But if you watch very close you'll see it all
Sit down, take a look at yourself
Don't you want to be somebody?
Someday somebody's gonna see inside
You have to face up, you can't run and hide.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Now tell me have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
Sit down, take a look at yourself
Don't you want to be somebody?
Someday somebody's gonna see inside
You have to face up, you can't run and hide.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
Unlucky at love at least that's what they say
He lost his head and he gambled his heart away
He still keeps searching though there's nothing left
Staked his heart and lost, now he has to pay the cost
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Beaten by the Queen of Hearts every time.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
He's a loser but he still keeps on trying.
"It's okay." he smiles and says
But this loneliness is driving him crazy.
He don't show what goes on in his head
But if you watch very close you'll see it all
Sit down, take a look at yourself
Don't you want to be somebody?
Someday somebody's gonna see inside
You have to face up, you can't run and hide.
Have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
Now tell me have you heard about the Lonesome Loser?
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There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
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"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
Mountain Song
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Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
this song,is a description of me....enough said.
This song cracks me up :) Old 70s. Only those from this day and age can appreciate the song.
A guy that keeps trying to find love but can never win at it. Just like a person gambling his money away. This guy keeps gambling his heart. Sucks to be a lonesome loser who can't win at love.. but he still keeps on trying :)
This song has been stuck in my head for days!
Rock on 1970s :)
Story of my life, too.
At least the lonesome loser keeps on trying, though!
Me too. This is ssoo about me.
Haaha wow Reading comments from near a decade ago is FUN
Has the song writer David John Briggs ever discussed definitively what the song is about? As I would like to hear what says
@truewords Not that I know of. Am curious too. It seems very personal. Makes you wonder who, how, when, where and most of all why.
I maybe crazy but it all because of you Diana
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You know this song is the most definite proof of what shallow mindset existed back in the 70s.
Now we know even the most mundane job is to be apreciated and a person is not a loser for doing a lesser job than they are capable. It is easy to see the error of this song.
And what exactly where they trying to promote here..? If a woman is truley a "queen of hearts" then money and materialism would not be the end all.
Shame on a man for trying to win the apple of his eye. He should first be wealthy and succesful (like we are) and "be somebody".
What a crock of shit.
But the trick about the song is it's generic enough to promote a sense of "guilt" in any precieved direction and as the previous post comments it was used quite commonly as an insult song.
So to me, this song is LRB identity. This is the song they should go down in history as their contribution to the world. A song that promoted materialistic slut-dome.
Me, I never got into the band. All their songs seemed so generic cookie cutter and teeny bopperish. There was no thrill of real rock. Just some sucky preachy lyrics that leaves me cold.
If you read into LRB history, you'll see allot of the members did not get allong and would quit. Their history speaks volumes of itself.
RJ
This song to me means that anyone else's pain, desperation, loneliness is easy to bear. The speed of the song is breezy an dlusty and happy. The pretty 1970s harmonies sound a bit silly in 2007, and no one in that band sounds lonely. Works well as - a) gimmick song to mock your friends; b) a way to get back at an ex-girlfriend/boyfriend; c) a song to make people leave your house.
Wow. September 11, 2001 made so many songs sound 20 times as trite as they were anyway.
All said though, could be a case of the band putting together a decent song and adding the "lonesome loser" lyrics because they just "happened" - as Genesis' "No Son Of Mine."
Hunter Newman meanspeed.com