Clifford T. Ward typified the early 70s bedsitter singer-songwriter with a series of albums that were at best delightful and at worst mawkish. Ward left grammar school before A-levels to work as a clerk, but by 1962 was fronting local beat group Cliff Ward and the Cruisers. The group changed their name to Martin Raynor and the Secrets and made their recording debut for EMI Records in 1965, before recording several more tracks as the Secrets for CBS Records.
In 1967 Ward enrolled at Worcester teacher training college to study English and divinity, after which he taught at Bromsgrove high school. His debut album appeared on disc jockey John Peel's brave-but-doomed Dandelion Records label in 1972. His second album and his first release for Charisma Records, Home Thoughts, proved to be his finest work and gave him wider recognition. Ward constructed each song as a complete story sometimes with great success.
The beautiful "Gaye" became a UK Top 10 hit but surprisingly the stronger "Home Thoughts From Abroad" and the infectious and lyrically excellent "Wherewithal" failed to chart. Mantle Pieces and Escalator contained a similar recipe of more harmless tales like the minor hit "Scullery" with affecting lyrics like; "You're my picture by Picasso, you'd brighten up any gallery'.
Ward's refusal to tour and promote his songs did not help endear the singer to his record company, however, and he switched to the Phonogram Records label for 1975"s No More Rock 'N' Roll. In later years although still recording the occasional album and still reluctant to perform live, Ward received kudos as a songwriter with his material being recorded by artists such as Cliff Richard, Art Garfunkel and Justin Hayward.
He was struck down with multiple sclerosis in 1987 and his health rapidly deteriorated. He managed to record 1991's vinyl-only album Laugh It Off, and friends and colleagues pieced together two more albums of new songs, out-takes and demos to give the ailing Ward some financial assistance. He finally succumbed to pneumonia December 18th 2001.
Losin' After All
Clifford T. Ward Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Nothin' planned and nothin' left to chance
Only you and me adrift
And knowin' at a glance
When we let it get too bland
Everythin' got out of hand
An' it all became confusin' at the end.
Nothin' new
Nothin' sad nor even slightly planned
Only you and me who thought
That we could build on sand
And we both look less than winners after all
When we let it go too far
All the signs were in the stars
And it all seemed far from winnin'
After all.
I shouldn't ask I know
But what am I supposed to do now?
If I let you go, you know it's wrong
But I can't fight it.
Nothin' new, nothin' changed
And nothin' quite the same
Only you and me who ventured all
And nothin' gained
And it all looked so confusin' at the end
When we let it get too bland
Everythin' got out of hand
An' it all became confusin' at the end
Yes I knew that I was losing
After all.
In Clifford T. Ward's song "Losin' After All," the lyrics depict a relationship that has reached a point of confusion and disillusionment. The singer acknowledges that there is nothing new or exciting happening, no plans or surprises to look forward to. The two individuals involved are adrift, lacking direction and purpose. Despite their initial hopes, everything has become bland and out of hand, leading to a state of confusion. It becomes clear to both parties that they are not winning in this relationship, as they let it go too far and ignored the warning signs. The singer questions what they are supposed to do now, torn between knowing that letting go is the right decision, yet feeling unable to fight against the inevitable loss. Ultimately, they realize that they are losing in this situation.
This song captures the emotions of disappointment and resignation that often come when a relationship fails to live up to expectations. The lyrics emphasize the lack of change and the sense of stagnation in the relationship, highlighting the dullness and repetition that have contributed to its downfall. The mention of building on sand suggests that their foundation was flawed from the start, symbolizing the lack of stability and solidity in the relationship. The repeated references to confusion reflect the state of their emotions and the mixed signals they have encountered.
Line by Line Meaning
Nothin' new
There is nothing new or exciting happening in our relationship.
Nothin' planned and nothin' left to chance
We didn't have any plans or opportunities to improve things.
Only you and me adrift
It was just the two of us, feeling lost and directionless.
And knowin' at a glance
We both could immediately see and recognize our struggles.
And it all turned out confusin' at the end
Ultimately, everything became chaotic and unclear.
When we let it get too bland
We allowed our relationship to become dull and uninspiring.
Everythin' got out of hand
All aspects of our relationship spiraled out of control.
An' it all became confusin' at the end
In the end, everything became even more confusing and complicated.
Nothin' sad nor even slightly planned
There was no sadness or even a hint of a plan in our relationship.
Only you and me who thought
It was just the two of us, believing we could make it work.
That we could build on sand
We believed we could establish a strong foundation on unstable ground.
And we both look less than winners after all
Neither of us appears successful or victorious in the end.
When we let it go too far
We allowed our relationship to progress beyond a healthy point.
All the signs were in the stars
There were clear indications and warnings that we ignored.
And it all seemed far from winnin'
Our situation appeared far from being successful or favorable.
After all
In the end, despite our efforts, we couldn't achieve a positive outcome.
I shouldn't ask I know
I shouldn't seek an answer because I already understand.
But what am I supposed to do now?
However, I'm unsure of what actions I should take moving forward.
If I let you go, you know it's wrong
If I choose to end our relationship, deep down, I know it's not the right decision.
But I can't fight it
Nevertheless, I cannot resist or deny this feeling of uncertainty and doubt.
Nothin' new, nothin' changed
There is still nothing new or different happening between us.
And nothin' quite the same
Our relationship feels different, not like it used to be.
Only you and me who ventured all
The only ones who took the risk and gave our all were you and me.
And nothin' gained
Unfortunately, we didn't gain anything from our efforts.
And it all looked so confusin' at the end
In the end, everything appeared tangled and perplexing.
When we let it get too bland
We allowed our relationship to become dull and uninteresting.
Everythin' got out of hand
Everything spiraled out of control and became chaotic.
An' it all became confusin' at the end
Ultimately, everything became even more confusing and complicated.
Yes I knew that I was losing
I was fully aware and understood that I was losing in this situation.
After all
In the end, despite my efforts, I couldn't achieve a favorable outcome.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WONDERSR
That combination of Cliff's voice, the melody and lyrics...
Doug Reed
Quite probably the most 'neglected' singer songwriter this country has ever produced a class act! 😎🎶😊
Clive Bibra
Anouther great song what a talent
dreamerinalowprofile
Thank you for your kind comment.