I'm a Loser

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I'm A Loser is the second song off The Beatles' 1964 album, Beatles for Sale.

Contents

Writing

This song, written in summer 1964, was really starting to show the emerging interest John Lennon had in Bob Dylan's writing style. John said in 1974, "I'm A Loser is me in my Dylan period, because the word 'clown' is in it. I objected to the word 'clown', because that was always artsy-fartsy, but Dylan had used it so I thought it was all right, and it rhymed with whatever I was doing." Besides Dylan's style, John was also inspired by journalist Kenneth Allsop, whom he had met in March 1964. Allsop felt that John was not writing songs with the same depth that he had written In His Own Write with, and that he should write more autobiographically. This advice also inspired him to write In My Life in 1965. As Paul said, "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'. You didn't really think about it at the time, it's only later you think, God! I think it was pretty brave of John." John later said "Part of me suspects I’m a loser, and part of me thinks I’m God almighty" He also said "If there’s such a thing as a genius, I am one! If there isn’t, I don’t care."

Recording

The song was recorded on August 14, 1964 in eight takes, along with the songs Leave My Kitten Alone and Mr. Moonlight. It was previewed to fans on November 26 on Top Gear, a BBC radio show, shortly before the song was officially released. This performance was later included on the 1994 album Live At The BBC. It was also recorded again for the BBC on May 26, 1965 on the final show ever recorded.

Available Versions

  • Take 1, August 14, 1964, False Start (Bootlegs).
  • Take 2, August 14, 1964, (Bootlegs).
  • Take 3, August 14, 1964, (Bootlegs).
  • Take 4, August 14, 1964, Breakdown (Bootlegs).
  • Take 5, August 14, 1964, Breakdown (Bootlegs).
  • Take 6, August 14, 1964, (Bootlegs).
  • Take 7, August 14, 1964, Breakdown (Bootlegs).
  • Take 8, August 14, 1964, Master Version (Beatles for Sale).
  • BBC radio re-recording, November 17, 1964. (Live At The BBC)
  • BBC radio re-recording, May 26, 1965. (Bootlegs).

Personnel

The Beatles

Production

Cover Versions

  • The Eels
  • Marianne Faithfull
  • The Punkles
  • Sum 41

Source

Retrieved from "http://www.beatleswiki.org/wiki/I%27m_a_Loser"
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