Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948 in Everett, WA) is an American … Read Full Bio ↴Kenneth Clark Loggins (born January 7, 1948 in Everett, WA) is an American singer-songwriter and guitarist. His early songwriting compositions were recorded with the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band in 1970, which led to seven albums, performing as the group Loggins and Messina from 1972 to 1977. As a solo artist, Loggins experienced a string of soundtrack successes, including an Academy Award nomination for "Footloose" in 1984. His early soundtrack contributions date back to the film A Star Is Born in 1976, and for much of the 1980s and 1990s, he was known as "The Soundtrack King". 'Finally Home' was released in 2013, shortly after Loggins formed the group Blue Sky Riders with Gary Burr and Georgia Middleman.

Loggins was born in Everett, Washington and is the youngest of three brothers. His mother was Lina (née Massie), a homemaker, and his father, Robert George Loggins, was a salesman. They lived in Detroit and Seattle before settling in Alhambra, California. Loggins attended San Gabriel Mission High School, graduating in 1966. He formed a band called the Second Helping that released three singles during 1968 and 1969 on Viva Records. Greg Shaw described the efforts as "excellent punky folk-pop records" that were written by Loggins who was likely to be the bandleader and singer as well; Shaw included "Let Me In" on both Highs in the Mid-Sixties, Volume 2 and the Pebbles, Volume 9 CD.

Loggins had a short gig playing guitar for the New Improved Electric Prunes in 1969 before writing four songs for the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band, which were included in their Uncle Charlie & His Dog Teddy album. During his early twenties, he was part of the band Gator Creek with Mike Deasy. An early version of "Danny's Song" (later recorded by Loggins and Messina and a No. 7 Hot 100 hit for Anne Murray in 1973) was included in a record on Mercury Records.

Loggins appears in the 2013 video game Grand Theft Auto V playing himself as the host of an in-game radio station called Los Santos Rock Radio. He also lends the songs "Danger Zone" and "I'm Free (Heaven Helps the Man)", and sings station jingles.

In 2014, Loggins appeared as himself in the episode "Baby Shower" of the fifth season of the animated comedy series Archer. His song "Danger Zone" had been a recurring joke in the show. At the end of the episode and during the credits, Loggins also performs a country version of "Danger Zone" as a duet with the character of Cherlene. Loggins stated in a later interview that his in-show nickname 'K-Log' is a complete creation of the show, stating, "It was always a joke. That's why it works, because it's so absurd.

The More We Try
Kenny Loggins Lyrics

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Some lessons are forever
Never need to change
Write and the word is written
Then we turn the page

Some lessons take forever
Time and time again
Caught in a battle that you can't surrender

And can never win

You tried to make me the boy of your dreams
Ones that you never could find
You thought you saw your face in mine

The more we try
The more we just get lonely
Though you've shown me how
The things you say are true

The lesson learned, is no concern
If you don't even know me
To need love is all
I really learned from you

The more we try
The more we just get lonely
Though you've shown me how
The things you say are true

The lessons learned, are no concern
'Cause you don't even know me
Sure you've done what you can do

But when all our time is through
To be loved is all I ever needed of you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Kenny Loggins's song, The More We Try, highlight the importance of learning lessons that are timeless and never-changing. The opening lines suggest that some lessons are so critical that once they are learned, they need not be changed but rather applied again and again. The act of writing and turning the page is symbolic of taking note of those valuable lessons and moving on to the next chapter in life.

However, the song also suggests that some lessons take longer to learn and may even result in being stuck in a fight that cannot be won. The line "caught in a battle that you can't surrender and can never win" describes a sense of hopelessness, suggesting that there are some lessons that may not be worth the effort required to learn them.

The second half of the song seems to express a relationship that is one-sided. The lyrics depict being pushed to become someone else, to live up to an unattainable standard. This attempt to make the singer into the “boy of your dreams” speaks to the experience of being trapped in someone else's expectations, and the difficulty of ever fulfilling them. The more they try, the more they feel isolated and alone, despite the lessons learned. In the end, the singer finds that what they really needed and wanted was love, and it was never given to them authentically.

Overall, the song serves as an ode to the importance of learning lessons that will serve us throughout life but also a warning to be careful who we allow to influence and shape us. It suggests that sometimes the lesson we need to learn is not about what we gain or achieve but rather about what we need and deserve in terms of love and authenticity.

Line by Line Meaning

Some lessons are forever
There are lessons that last eternally

Never need to change
And they won't ever require adjustment

Write and the word is written
Express it, and it becomes fact

Then we turn the page
And move on to the next chapter

Some lessons take forever
Some learning experiences seem eternal

Time and time again
Repetition is key

Caught in a battle that you can't surrender
Stuck in a dilemma where there's no way out

And can never win
Where victory isn't an option

You tried to make me the boy of your dreams
You aimed to turn me into your wishful thinking

Ones that you never could find
The ones you could never locate

You thought you saw your face in mine
You believed that you found your reflection in me