Nothing To Lose
American Aquarium Lyrics


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She had on her mama′s dress
It was quilted, white, and freshly pressed
She looked like the Queen of Appalachia
We threw everything we had
In the back of my daddy's Cadillac
And dared the whole world to catch us

Got a full tank of gas and a bottle of booze
A pocket full of cash, and nothin′ to lose

As we pulled out of her daddy's place
A smile crept 'cross her face
She said, "Are we really gonna do this?"
That′s when we both realized
We were leavin′ all the bad behind
And we started shoutin' broken "Hallelujah′s!"

Now come on, baby, take my hand
'Cause we′re headin' on to the promised land

So take it easy, babe
On this heart of mine
If we play our cards right, baby
We just might make it outta here alive

Well the car was black, a ′68
With a 429 fast enough to make
Them telephone poles look like fences
The motor howls around the clock
And the streetlights fight us every single block
From here all the way to Memphis

We're headin' out, anywhere but here
And everything we know is in the rearview mirror

Well the wind set her hair to dancin′
Occasionally giving glances
Of her face, all freckles and sunburn
With a smile you won′t soon forget
To the way she lights her cigarettes
She's a modern-day Audrey Hepburn

Got her daddy′s temper and her mama's eyes
The world ahead of us, and her by my side

So take it easy, babe
On this heart of mine
If we play our cards right, baby
We just might make it outta here alive

There′s a Red Collar song on the radio
I think it's used guitars
But I don′t know, 'cause the speaker's busted
She locked her hand in mine
And her fingers traced a tattoo line
And said, "You′re the only boy I′ve ever trusted"





Got a full tank of gas and a bottle of booze
A pocket full of cash, and nothin' to lose

Overall Meaning

The song Nothing to Lose by American Aquarium portrays a couple’s desire to get away from their current lives and start fresh. The lyrics depict a young couple leaving their past behind and heading out on a road trip together, with only each other and their youthful spirits as their companions for the journey. The line “Got a full tank of gas and a bottle of booze, a pocket full of cash, and nothin’ to lose” is an anthem of sorts for anyone looking to break free from the mundane and chase their dreams.


The couple leaves everything behind and jumps in the back seat of a 68’ Cadillac with a powerful engine that can make the telephone poles appear like fences. They head out on a journey with no set destination, only a promise of a better future awaiting them. As they both bask in each other’s company and the newfound freedom, they are reminded of the love and trust they have in each other.


The song resonates with people who have ever felt stuck in their lives and needed a fresh start. It inspires people to take a leap of faith in pursuit of something better than their current situation. The song urges the listeners to take control of their lives and believe in themselves.


Line by Line Meaning

She had on her mama's dress
She wore an impressive dress that belonged to her mother.


It was quilted, white, and freshly pressed
The dress was white and made of quilted fabric that had been recently ironed and looked new.


She looked like the Queen of Appalachia
Her appearance made her look like royalty from the region of Appalachia.


We threw everything we had
We threw all our possessions.


In the back of my daddy's Cadillac
We placed all our belongings in the rear of my father's Cadillac motor vehicle.


And dared the whole world to catch us
We challenged the entire world to stop us from leaving this place.


Got a full tank of gas and a bottle of booze
We had a tank full of fuel and a bottle of alcohol.


A pocket full of cash, and nothin' to lose
We had cash with us and no fear or apprehension about the journey ahead.


As we pulled out of her daddy's place
As we left the place where she lived with her father.


A smile crept 'cross her face
She had a happy expression on her face.


She said, 'Are we really gonna do this?'
She expressed her disbelief and inquired if this was really happening.


That's when we both realized
It was an instant in which both of us came to recognize.


We were leavin' all the bad behind
We were abandoning all of the negativity that existed previously.


And we started shoutin' broken 'Hallelujah's!'
We began to scream out the word 'Hallelujah' repeatedly, even though we sounded out of tune and broken.


Now come on, baby, take my hand
Now, my dear, hold my hand.


'Cause we're headin' on to the promised land
We are on the way to a better future.


So take it easy, babe
Take it slowly, my dear.


On this heart of mine
Be kind to my heart.


If we play our cards right, baby
If we plan our moves well.


We just might make it outta here alive
We may be able to survive and escape from this place.


Well the car was black, a '68
The car was a 1968 model and painted black.


With a 429 fast enough to make
The car had a powerful engine, 429 cubic inches in size.


Them telephone poles look like fences
We were moving so quickly that the telephone poles appeared as if they were fences instead.


The motor howls around the clock
The car engine roared all the time.


And the streetlights fight us every single block
The streetlighting seemed to be battling against us on every block.


From here all the way to Memphis
The journey seemed to stretch all the way to Memphis.


We're headin' out, anywhere but here
We are leaving and going anywhere other than this place.


And everything we know is in the rearview mirror
Everything we are leaving behind is seen through the rearview mirror.


Well the wind set her hair to dancin'
Her hair started moving due to the wind.


Occasionally giving glances
She occasionally turned her head to look at something.


Of her face, all freckles and sunburn
Her face was covered in freckles and had been sunburned.


With a smile you won't soon forget
Her smile was unforgettable.


To the way she lights her cigarettes
The way she lit her cigarettes was noteworthy.


She's a modern-day Audrey Hepburn
She had the grace and elegance of Audrey Hepburn, a famous actress.


Got her daddy's temper and her mama's eyes
She inherited her father's temper and her mother's eyes.


The world ahead of us, and her by my side
The future lay ahead of us, and she was with me by my side.


There's a Red Collar song on the radio
A Red Collar song is playing on the radio.


I think it's used guitars
I believe the song includes the use of guitars that are not new.


But I don't know, 'cause the speaker's busted
However, I am not entirely certain because the singer is not working correctly.


She locked her hand in mine
She held her hand tightly around mine.


And her fingers traced a tattoo line
Her fingertips followed the line of a tattoo on my skin.


And said, 'You're the only boy I've ever trusted'
She confided in me that she trusted me more than any other boy.


Got a full tank of gas and a bottle of booze
We have enough petrol and alcohol with us.


A pocket full of cash, and nothin' to lose
We have cash and have no fear of losing anything, hence free to take risks.




Writer(s): Don Black, Henry Mancini

Contributed by Jake N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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