Nothing Left to Lose
The Alan Parsons Project Lyrics


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Nothing's good, the news is bad
The heat goes on, and it drives you mad
Scornful thoughts that fly your way
You should turn away, 'cause there's nothing more to say

You gave the best you had to give
You only have one life to live
You fought so hard, you were a slave
After all you gave, there was nothing left to save

You've got nothing left to lose
(You've got nothing left to lose)
No, you've got nothing left to lose
(Who'd wanna be standing in your shoes?)

You read the book, you turn the page
You change your life in a thousand ways
The dawn of reason lights your eyes
With the key, you realize, to the kingdom of the wise

You've got nothing left to lose
(You've got nothing left to lose)
No, you've got nothing left to lose
(Who'd wanna be standing in your shoes?)

Nothing ventured, nothing gained
No more lingering doubt remained




Nothing sacred or profane
Everything to gain 'cause you've nothing left

Overall Meaning

to lose


The Alan Parsons Project's song "Nothing Left to Lose" speaks about the singers' circumstances of hopelessness and frustration resulting from the negative outcomes in their life, both professionally and personally. The song begins with a negative outlook on life, stating that nothing is good, and the news is bad. The singer feels the constant heat of negativity that drives them mad while dealing with negative thoughts from others.


The singer suggests turning away from the negativity because there is nothing left to say. They had given their best, but there was nothing left to save despite their hard work, leaving them hopeless. The singer recognizes that they've got nothing left to lose and nobody would want to stand in their shoes. As they have nothing left, it's time to act and do something, take risks, as nothing is sacred or profane, and is everything to gain.


Overall, the song talks about finding hope in a hopeless situation despite losing everything in the past. It's a reminder that it's time to move on and try something new with a fearless attitude.


Line by Line Meaning

Nothing's good the news is bad
Things are not looking good and the news is not positive.


The heat goes on and it drives you mad
The pressure keeps mounting, and it's affecting your sanity.


Scornful thoughts that fly your way
Negative thoughts and criticisms are directed at you constantly.


You should turn away cause there's nothing more to say
It's best to walk away and not engage further because there's no point.


You gave the best you had to give
You put in your best effort and did everything you could.


You only had one life to live
You only have one life, and you gave it your all.


You fought so hard you were a slave
You worked tirelessly and felt trapped in the struggle.


After all you gave there was nothing left to save
Despite all your efforts, there was nothing that could be saved.


You've got nothing left to lose (you've got nothing left to lose)
There is no more risk or loss to be suffered since everything is already gone.


No you've got nothing left to lose (who'd want to be standing in your shoes)
Nobody would want to be in your position since you have so little left.


Nothing ventured nothing gained
You can't gain anything if you never take any risks.


No more lingering doubt remained
All doubts have been cleared up and resolved.


Nothing sacred or profane
There's nothing you cannot disregard or disrespect.


Everything to gain
Since there's nothing left to lose, there's everything to gain by being bold.


Cause you've nothing left
All your resources and options are exhausted.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Alan Parsons, Eric Woolfson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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