Loser
Dave Alvin Lyrics


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If I had a gun for every ace I have drawn
I could arm a town the size of Abilene
Don't you push me, baby
'Cause I'm all alone and you know I'm only in it for the gold

All that I am askin' is for ten gold dollars
And I could pay you back with one good hand
You can look around about the wide world over
And you'll never find another honest man

Last fair deal in the country
Last fair deal in the town
Put your gold dollars where your love is, baby
Before I let my deal go down

Last fair deal in the country
Last fair deal in the town
Put your gold dollars where your love is, baby
Before I let my deal go down

Don't you push me, baby, 'cause I'm all alone
And I know a little somethin' you might never know
Don't you touch our liquor, just a cup of cold coffee
Gonna wake up in the mornin' and go

Now, everybody's braggin' and drinkin' that wine
I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shines
Come to papa on an inside straight
'Cause I got no chance of losin' this time




No, I got no chance of losin' this time
No, I got no chance of losin' this time

Overall Meaning

The song "Loser" by Dave Alvin seems to be a song about a gambler who is in search of gold in order to support his gambling habits. The first verse of the song speaks about the number of aces the gambler has drawn, which indicates how successful he has been in his gambling pursuits. The line "Don't you push me, baby" is a warning to his love interest who may be trying to push him away from his gambling habits. He knows that she is the only one who is close to him, and he is all alone in his journey to find gold.


The second verse seems to continue the idea of the gambler's search for gold. He is asking for only ten gold dollars, which he says he can easily pay back with one good hand. He also says that he is an honest man and that there are no others like him in the world who are honest. The lines "Put your gold dollars where your love is, baby / Before I let my deal go down" seem to imply that his love interest needs to put her money to support his gambling habits if she wants their relationship to continue.


The third verse seems to talk about the gambler's nonchalant attitude towards his situation. He knows that he is in a precarious position, but he is not afraid of it. The lines "Don't you touch our liquor, just a cup of cold coffee / Gonna wake up in the mornin' and go" show that he is not interested in drinking and partying like other gamblers. He is content with a cup of cold coffee and wants to get up in the morning to continue his journey of finding gold.


Overall, "Loser" seems to be a melancholy song about a gambler who is in search of something he cannot have. He knows that his love interest is the only one who is close to him, but he is all alone in his fight to find gold. He is not afraid of his precarious position and is content with a cup of cold coffee.


Line by Line Meaning

If I had a gun for every ace I have drawn
I have won so many times that I could arm a whole town with guns


I could arm a town the size of Abilene
I have won so many times that I could defend a large group of people


Don't you push me, baby
Do not irritate me


'Cause I'm all alone and you know I'm only in it for the gold
I am by myself and I am not interested in anyone, only for what they have


All that I am askin' is for ten gold dollars
I only want a small amount of money


And I could pay you back with one good hand
I promise to repay you with a good game


You can look around about the wide world over
You can search everywhere


And you'll never find another honest man
You will never find someone as honest as me


Last fair deal in the country
This is the final chance for a fair deal in the area


Last fair deal in the town
This is the final chance for a fair deal in this specific town


Put your gold dollars where your love is, baby
Invest your money where your love interest is


Before I let my deal go down
Before I lose my money


Don't you push me, baby, 'cause I'm all alone
Again, do not irritate or anger me because I have no one to back me up


And I know a little somethin' you might never know
I am aware of something that you are not


Don't you touch our liquor, just a cup of cold coffee
Requesting a cup of coffee and not interested in drinking liquor


Gonna wake up in the mornin' and go
Going to leave early in the morning


Now, everybody's braggin' and drinkin' that wine
Everyone is boasting and drinking wine


I can tell the Queen of Diamonds by the way she shines
I can identify the Queen of Diamonds by its sparkle


Come to papa on an inside straight
I am hoping to draw a specific card in order to win


'Cause I got no chance of losin' this time
I am confident in my victory this time


No, I got no chance of losin' this time
I am very sure that I will not lose this hand


No, I got no chance of losin' this time
My chances of losing are extremely low




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jerome J. Garcia, Robert C. Hunter

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

TJ Colatrella

Brilliant..

dire wolf

alvin's grit .. blood whiskey dust and gun oil ...

Peterkufner

Super. Danke

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