Sons of Bill are a country rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia, that f… Read Full Bio ↴Sons of Bill are a country rock band from Charlottesville, Virginia, that formed in the fall of 2005. At its core are brothers James, Sam, and Abe Wilson, the sons of Bill Wilson, the source of the band's name. The brothers returned to Virginia from very different paths in life to form a band based in the country music they grew up learning from their father while bringing along their interests in rock and jazz to influence their sound.

James Wilson plays acoustic guitar and is the band's lead vocalist. Sam Wilson plays electric guitar and sings backup vocals, occasionally taking over lead vocals as well. Abe Wilson plays piano, organ and banjo and also provides vocals. Seth Green plays bass and Todd Wellons plays drums.

In 2006 the band won the University of Virginia's battle of the bands. They took their prize - recording time at Crystalphonic Studios - and cut their first album, "A Far Cry From Freedom," which sold over 1000 copies within its first 8 months.

Websites: http://www.sonsofbill.com and http://www.myspace.com/sonsofbillmusic

This Losing Fight
Sons of Bill Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Waking up staring at the ceiling,
Trying hard to fight the feeling,
That you ain't gonna get up today...

Roll over see she left a message,
But you ain't gonna bother to check it,
Cause you know exactly what she'll say...

Wish you could buy reparation flowers,
But you make nine dollars an hour,
And the whole things just gonna wilt and die anyway

[Chorus:]
Oh and your neck is cracking the heels,
You're off the wagon and under the wheels,
And I can't tell what it'd mean to win, much less to lose
And it's one more morning of coming down,
One more day in this damn town,
To get your head right, for one more night
In a losing fight with the blues.

And it's waking up thinking wish I could,
Going to bed thinking thought I would,
But all you know is your fourth grade posters lie,
And it's little blue pills in a Great Depression,
It's bad girls in a booze recession
Guess it's all one big life lesson then you die...

[Chorus:]
Oh and your neck is cracking the heels,
You're off the wagon and under the wheels,
And I can't tell what it'd mean to win, much less to lose
And it's one more morning of coming down,
One more day in this damn town,
To get your head right, for one more night
In a losing fight with the blues.

This losing fight...

[Chorus:]
Oh and your neck is cracking the heels,
You're off the wagon and under the wheels,
And I can't tell what it'd mean to win, much less to lose
And it's one more morning of coming down,
One more day in this damn town,

To get your head right, for one more night
In a losing fight.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Sons of Bill's This Losing Fight describe the struggles of someone dealing with depression, addiction, and the feeling of being stuck in a life they cannot escape from. The verses describe the singer's difficulty in getting out of bed in the morning, despite knowing they have messages waiting for them, and the futility they feel in trying to make any progress in their life. They long for something better, but feel held back by their circumstances and their inability to change them.

The chorus is the most poignant part of the song, as it describes the feeling of being stuck in a cycle of self-destructive behavior that the singer cannot seem to break out of. They feel as though they are constantly fighting against the blues, and yet they are unable to win. The imagery of cracking necks and being run over by the wagon adds to the feeling of hopelessness and despair that pervades the song.

Overall, This Losing Fight is a powerful portrayal of the struggles that many people face in their lives, and the difficulties they face in trying to overcome them. It is a beautiful and moving song that captures the essence of what it means to live with depression and addiction.

Line by Line Meaning

Waking up staring at the ceiling,
You wake up and immediately feel defeated as you gaze at the blankness of the ceiling.

Trying hard to fight the feeling,
You struggle to push back against the negative emotions that are pulling you down.

That you ain't gonna get up today...
You feel like there's no point in even getting out of bed today, as the world outside seems bleak and uninviting.

Roll over see she left a message,
You turn over in bed and see that someone has left you a message, but the thought of checking it fills you with dread and anxiety.

But you ain't gonna bother to check it,
You decide that it's better not to know what the message says, as it's likely to be something that will only make you feel worse.

Cause you know exactly what she'll say...
You can already guess what the message says, and you don't want to deal with the disappointment or frustration that it will bring.

Wish you could buy reparation flowers,
You wish you could do something nice for someone to make up for your own failings or shortcomings, but you just don't have the resources to do so.

But you make nine dollars an hour,
You're stuck in a low-paying job that barely covers the bills, which only adds to your sense of powerlessness and despair.

And the whole things just gonna wilt and die anyway
Even if you could afford to buy flowers, you know that they would wither and die eventually, just like everything else in life that seems to be slipping away from you.

Oh and your neck is cracking the heels,
You're physically and mentally exhausted, to the point where you feel like your head is heavy and your neck is straining to keep it up.

You're off the wagon and under the wheels,
You've fallen off the wagon of sobriety or self-improvement, and you feel like you're getting run over by the harsh realities of life.

And I can't tell what it'd mean to win, much less to lose
You're so lost and confused that you can't even imagine what it would feel like to succeed or fail at anything anymore.

And it's one more morning of coming down,
You wake up day after day feeling helpless and defeated, with no sense of upward momentum or progress in your life.

One more day in this damn town,
You're stuck in a place that you hate, with no possibility of escape or better options on the horizon.

To get your head right, for one more night
You try to gather your thoughts and emotions to face another night of loneliness, sadness, and fear.

In a losing fight with the blues.
You're in a constant battle with the weight of depression and negative thoughts that keep dragging you down, no matter how hard you try to resist.

Oh and your neck is cracking the heels,
You're physically and mentally exhausted, to the point where you feel like your head is heavy and your neck is straining to keep it up.

You're off the wagon and under the wheels,
You've fallen off the wagon of sobriety or self-improvement, and you feel like you're getting run over by the harsh realities of life.

And I can't tell what it'd mean to win, much less to lose
You're so lost and confused that you can't even imagine what it would feel like to succeed or fail at anything anymore.

And it's one more morning of coming down,
You wake up day after day feeling helpless and defeated, with no sense of upward momentum or progress in your life.

One more day in this damn town,
You're stuck in a place that you hate, with no possibility of escape or better options on the horizon.

To get your head right, for one more night
You try to gather your thoughts and emotions to face another night of loneliness, sadness, and fear.

In a losing fight.
You feel like you're constantly battling against forces that are too strong for you to overcome, and you're not sure how much longer you can keep fighting without giving up entirely.

Contributed by Alexander A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS