Loser
Beck Lyrics


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In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie
With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables
Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Stock car flamin' with a loser and the cruise control
Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D
Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love seat

Someone keeps sayin' I'm insane to complain
About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt
Don't believe everything that you read
You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Savin' all your food stamps and burnin' down the trailer park

Yo, cut it
Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (double barrel buckshot)

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby, so why don't you kill me?

The forces of evil in a Bozo nightmare
Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
'Cause one's got a weasel and the other's got a flag
One's on the pole, shove the other in the bag
With the rerun shows and the cocaine nose job
The daytime crap with the folksinger slop
He hung himself with a guitar string
A slab of turkey neck and it's hangin' from a pigeon wing

Gotta get right if you can't relate
Trade the cash for the beef, for the body, for the hate
And my time is a piece of wax fallin' on a termite
That's chokin' on the splinters

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
(Get crazy with the Cheeze Whiz)

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
(Drive-by body pierce)

(Yo bring it on down)
Soy

(I'm a driver, I'm a winner, things are gonna change I can feel it)

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
(I can't believe you)

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?

Soy un perdedor
I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
(Sprechen sie Deutsch, baby?)

Soy un perdedor




I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me?
(Know what I'm sayin'?)

Overall Meaning

The song "Loser" by Beck is a surreal, stream of consciousness narrative that defies easy interpretation. It begins with the line "In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey," which seems to be a reference to evolution and the idea that modern humans evolved from primates. The next few lines ("Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie," "With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables") are disconnected, seemingly random images. However, they paint a picture of a seedy, dystopian world, where junkies and artificial food are the norm.


Line by Line Meaning

In the time of chimpanzees I was a monkey
In the past, when things were primitive and simple, I was also naive and foolish


Butane in my veins so I'm out to cut the junkie
I'm motivated to move away from addiction and self-destructive behaviors


With the plastic eyeballs, spray paint the vegetables
In a world where everything is superficial and fake, we are disguising nature with our own artificial creations


Dog food stalls with the beefcake pantyhose
The images we create are a strange mix of things that don't belong together and are ultimately absurd


Kill the headlights and put it in neutral
Sometimes, it's better to slow down, unplug, and disengage from the constant busyness of life


Stock car flamin' with a loser and the cruise control
We're on a dangerous path and headed towards destruction, but we're not really in control


Baby's in Reno with the vitamin D
Some people are trying to escape, find happiness, and make the most out of what they have in their current situation


Got a couple of couches, sleep on the love seat
Even if you don't have much, it's possible to make do and find love and comfort in what you do have


Someone keeps sayin' I'm insane to complain
Others may not understand or appreciate your perspective, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't express yourself


About a shotgun wedding and a stain on my shirt
Life can be messy, painful, and overwhelming, even when we try our best to do the right things


Don't believe everything that you read
We need to be skeptical and critical of the information we consume and the sources we trust


You get a parking violation and a maggot on your sleeve
Even small things can cause great irritation and frustration in our lives


So shave your face with some mace in the dark
Sometimes the solutions to our problems seem outlandish, dangerous, or ridiculous


Savin' all your food stamps and burnin' down the trailer park
When society or the system fails to support us, we may resort to extreme measures, even if it means burning everything down


Yo, cut it
Stop it, or pay attention to me


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (double barrel buckshot)
I am feeling worthless, helpless, and in need of mercy or release from my pain and struggles


The forces of evil in a Bozo nightmare
Our worst fears and nightmares are coming true, and we're powerless to stop it


Ban all the music with a phony gas chamber
Oppressive forces are trying to censor, silence, or erase the voices and expressions of those who are different or challenging


'Cause one's got a weasel and the other's got a flag
The differences between us are sometimes based on strange or arbitrary factors, but they can lead to great conflict


One's on the pole, shove the other in the bag
Those who are in power or privileged often exploit and subjugate those who are vulnerable or oppressed


With the rerun shows and the cocaine nose job
We are caught in a cycle of repetition and addiction where nothing seems new, genuine, or fulfilling


The daytime crap with the folksinger slop
We're fed a lot of empty, sentimental, or manipulative content that is meant to pacify, not to challenge or inspire us


He hung himself with a guitar string
Some people lose hope, and even the things they love most can become a source of pain and despair


A slab of turkey neck and it's hangin' from a pigeon wing
The world around us is grotesque, surreal, and full of strange or meaningless objects and symbols


Gotta get right if you can't relate
If you don't fit in or belong, you need to find your own path or purpose


Trade the cash for the beef, for the body, for the hate
We're obsessed with money, appearances, and competition, and we're willing to sacrifice our health, happiness, and relationships for them


And my time is a piece of wax fallin' on a termite
Our time is short, fleeting, and insignificant, and we're often spending it on things that don't really matter in the end


That's chokin' on the splinters
Even the smallest or most trivial things can be lethal or harmful when they accumulate or pile up


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (Get crazy with the Cheeze Whiz)
I am feeling so worthless and desperate that I'm willing to do something extreme or absurd to get attention or relief


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (Drive-by body pierce)
I am feeling so desperate and angry that I'm willing to risk my life and hurt others to get back at the world


(Yo bring it on down)
Lower the volume, bring it closer, or focus on what matters


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (I can't believe you)
I am amazed, surprised, or disappointed at how bad things have gotten, and I need someone to acknowledge or validate my feelings


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (Sprechen sie Deutsch, baby?)
I am feeling so alienated, confused, or frustrated that I'm willing to lash out, mock, or ridicule others to make myself feel better


Soy un perdedor
I am a loser


I'm a loser baby so why don't you kill me? (Know what I'm sayin'?)
I am feeling so isolated, misunderstood, or irrelevant that I need someone to connect or empathize with me




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Carl Stephenson, Beck Hansen

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@slutberryshortcake1918

Nirvana: Our lyrics make no sense
Beck: hold my beefcake pantyhose

@Itsyrm8

This should be sung in eddie vedderish...

@Eyelohim

😂😂😂

@sshep86

Mate. This wins YouTube comment awards hands down.

Possibly made me just laugh the hardest I have all 2020. Much needed during the current times. Thanks

@unternatuerlich

made my day :-)

@MyPussyBleeding-rn1mw

He said "beefcake pantyhose" after I read "hold my"

192 More Replies...

@JakeFlakeful

That opening guitar riff is immortal.

@rubberbandba11craft

Thought it was piano when I was younger

@tOxicPete

Wow! In 1 week it will be 30 years since its release!! That is insane. The song is just as good now. My, how much has happened in the world since then. Crazy. I was 13 when this track hit, just in the beginning of my prime teenage years. Oh god, here comes a wave of sweet, sickening nostalgia. Crazy.

@jameskaft5233

Delta blues slide guitar riff ya"ll

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