The Brian Jonestown M… Read Full Bio ↴San Francisco, United States (1990 – present)
The Brian Jonestown Massacre was formed in San Francisco in 1990. The band has had over 40 members since then, but its driving force and main songwriter is Anton Newcombe. Prominent ex-members included Matt Hollywood, Dean Taylor, Jeff Davies, Brian Glaze, and Joel Gion. Their sound is heavily influenced by the psychedelic sounds of the 1960s, but also carries influences from shoegaze, jangle pop, garage rock, and lo-fi sonorities. The band is probably most famous from their mid-90s friendship/rivalry with The Dandy Warhols, and ensuing documentary, DiG!.
Nothing To Lose
Brian Jonestown Massacre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She jumped out of your dreams and into your bed
But nobody listens if nothing is said
And no one wants to be in your shoes
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
And no one wants to be in your shoes
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
Hey, did you listen when I said
You better unplug your ears or cover your head
'Cause no one wants to be in those shoes
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
You've got nothing to lose, you got nothing to lose
You've got nothing to lose
So you sit in your seat there looking dumb
Tapping your feet and chewing gum
You can wait until your kingdom comes
But Jesus wouldn't walk in your shoes
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
Jesus wouldn't walk in your shoes
'Cause you so fucking stupid got nothing to use
You've got nothing to lose, you got nothing to lose
You've got nothing to lose
Well, it pains me so to see you frown
I never meant to bring you down
But I didn't ever ask you to come around
When you ain't got nothing to do
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
You ain't got nothing to do
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
The opening verse of "Nothing to Lose" by Brian Jonestown Massacre tells the story of a girl who existed only in the singer's head. She was a figment of his imagination, and yet, he allowed himself to believe in her. She eventually became his reality, but nobody cared or paid attention to their relationship because it was built on a fantasy. The lyric "And nobody listens if nothing is said" alludes to this idea that their love was barely there, and because nothing of substance was shared between them, it was inevitable that their connection would dissipate. The repetition of "You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose" highlights the emptiness of the situation and how the singer had nothing real at stake in their relationship.
The second verse speaks to a more general idea of being oblivious to the world around you. The singer warns the listener of their own impending demise if they don't "wise up." They urge the listener to pay attention, unplug their ears, and cover their head to become more aware of their surroundings. The warning that "Jesus wouldn't walk in your shoes" implies that the singer believes the listener's lifestyle is unworthy of the religious savior's attention. The singer then repeats the chorus to drive home the point that when you have nothing, you have nothing to lose.
The final verse reveals that the singer never invited the listener into their life. They lament that the listener is always around, even though they have "nothing to do." Again, the repetition of "You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose" drives home the point that the listener has nothing to offer in this dynamic, leaving the singer feeling drained by their presence.
Overall the song, "Nothing to Lose," speaks to the idea of empty relationships and existences. The singer warns against the danger of living in a bubble of ignorance, emphasizing the importance of being present and aware in the world.
Line by Line Meaning
She was a girl that lived in your head
You were imagining and idealizing a girl who was never real
She jumped out of your dreams and into your bed
You had an unrealistic expectation of this girl and were disappointed when she didn't meet it
But nobody listens if nothing is said
You can't expect things to happen without communicating or taking action
And no one wants to be in your shoes
Your situation or mindset is unappealing and unattractive to others
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
You have nothing of value or importance to offer or risk losing
Hey, did you listen when I said
I am trying to give you advice or a warning, did you pay attention?
That you best wise up or you'll soon be dead
You need to start being smarter or making better decisions or you will suffer negative consequences
You better unplug your ears or cover your head
Stop ignoring or avoiding the situation, face it head-on
'Cause no one wants to be in those shoes
The consequences of your actions or situation are so negative that nobody wants to experience them
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
You don't have anything positive to outweigh the consequences you're facing
So you sit in your seat there looking dumb
You're not taking action or doing anything to improve your situation, just waiting around
Tapping your feet and chewing gum
You're distracted or not focused on the important things
You can wait until your kingdom comes
You can keep waiting for things to magically get better, but they won't
But Jesus wouldn't walk in your shoes
Your actions or situation go against the moral or ethical standards of others
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
Again, you don't have anything positive to outweigh the consequences you're facing
Well, it pains me so to see you frown
I don't want to see you unhappy or suffering
I never meant to bring you down
I didn't want my advice or warning to have negative consequences for you
But I didn't ever ask you to come around
You put yourself in this situation and it's not my fault
When you ain't got nothing to do
When you're not taking action or responsibility for your situation
You ain't got nothing but nothing to lose
Once again, you don't have anything positive to outweigh the consequences you're facing
Contributed by Levi T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.