| "I'm a Loser" | ||||
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| Song by The Beatles
from the album Beatles for Sale |
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| Released | 4 December 1964 | |||
| Recorded | Abbey Road 14 August 1964 |
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| Genre | Folk rock, Country Rock | |||
| Length | 2:31 | |||
| Label | EMI, Parlophone, Capitol | |||
| Writer | Lennon/McCartney | |||
| Producer | George Martin | |||
| Beatles for Sale track listing | ||||
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| Music sample | ||||
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"I'm a Loser"
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"I'm a Loser" is a song by The Beatles originally released on Beatles for Sale in the United Kingdom and on Beatles '65 in the US. Written by John Lennon,[1][2] and credited to Lennon/McCartney, it was considered for release as a single until Lennon wrote "I Feel Fine".[3]
According to music critic Richie Unterberger, while the lyrics tell a story of romantic rejection, "I'm a Loser" is one of the first Beatles compositions that "goes beyond young love" including "the hypocrisy of keeping up a happy face when your world's falling down".[4]
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Looking back on it I think songs like 'I'm a Loser' and 'Nowhere Man' were John's cries for help. We used to listen to quite a lot of country and western songs and they are all about sadness and 'I lost my truck' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser' ... It's only later you think, God! I think it was brave of John.
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Singer Jackie DeShannon was on The Beatles' summer 1964 North American tour. She recalled that Lennon was writing this song on the plane during the tour.[citation needed]
In his 1980 Playboy interview, Lennon said the song was "me in my Dylan period" and added, "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty. [Laughs.]"[1] Unterberger said the song was "notable for being perhaps the first Beatles song to directly reflect the influence of Bob Dylan, thus nudging folk and rock a little closer together toward the folk-rock explosion of the following year."[4] Musicologist Alan Pollack said the song contained "a stronger blend of folk elements than almost anything else the Beatles had done to-date."[5]
Lennon hits a low G in the verses, a note usually reserved for bass singers. This is atypical of Lennon, considering he sang the bulk of his Beatles songs in a higher, tenor register. However, he also sang a low G in "Happiness Is a Warm Gun" and the backing vocals of "Love Me Do".[citation needed]
The Beatles recorded this song on 14 August 1964, the same day as "Mr. Moonlight" and "Leave My Kitten Alone". It was recorded in eight takes with no overdubs.[6]
It was released four months after it was recorded, but beforehand, it was previewed on BBC Radio on 17 August, along with three other songs from Beatles for Sale and also the "I Feel Fine"/"She's a Woman" single.[6]
On the original pressings of Beatles for Sale, the title was misprinted as "I'm a Loseer".
This song was covered by the Lost Dogs on their 1993 album, Little Red Riding Hood. In 2004 The Punkles did a cover of this song on their third album Pistol. The bands Sum 41 and Eels have also covered it live in concert, the latter releasing it on Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs). Doug Kershaw covered the song on his 1977 album Flip, Flop, and Fly.
  | The Beatles Bible: I'm A Loser - I'm A Loser | The Beatles Bible |
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