Heads You Win
The Beach Boys Lyrics


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Every time
We have a fight
We flip a coin
To see who's right

Why do we have to gamble just to see who's right?
Why can't we arbitrarily resolve a fight?
But with you're style of gamblin' there's no chance to win
That's how it is, and that's the way it's always been

Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Bad news

If we were playing cards you'd be the one to deal
You'd play with loaded dice and fix the roulette wheel
You pick 'em at the races like I've never seen
And then you make me pay off like a slot machine

Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Bad news

Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
Take my money (take my money)
You know the odds are your's (flip it baby)
So flip the coin

I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Bad news

Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
Take my money (take my money)
You know the odds are your's (flip it baby)
So flip the coin

I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Bad news

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win




Tails, you lose
Bad news

Overall Meaning

"Heads You Win Tails I Lose" is a song by The Beach Boys released in 1975 on their 22nd studio album "15 Big Ones". In the song, the singer describes how he and his partner resolve their disputes by flipping a coin. However, he feels that his partner always cheats and manipulates the game to come out on top. The singer decides to take matters into his own hands and become the dealer himself, using loaded dice and stacking the deck to ensure his victory. The song implicitly criticizes gambling and the way people use it to gain an advantage over others.


The lyrics reflect a common struggle in relationships- how to resolve conflicts fairly. The singer suggests that flipping a coin is an arbitrary way to settle disputes and that his partner is dishonest by manipulating the game. He tries to regain power and control over the situation by cheating himself, highlighting the competitive and selfish nature of human relationships. Overall, the song shows how people often resort to games, tricks, and dishonesty to manipulate relationships for their own benefit.


Line by Line Meaning

Every time
Every time we have a conflict


We have a fight
We disagree and argue


We flip a coin
We leave the resolution of our conflict to chance


To see who's right
To determine who is correct in the matter


Why do we have to gamble just to see who's right?
Why can't we find a more logical way to settle our disputes?


Why can't we arbitrarily resolve a fight?
Why can't we come to a mutually agreeable resolution?


But with your style of gamblin' there's no chance to win
Your method of leaving everything to chance makes it impossible for me to win


That's how it is, and that's the way it's always been
This is the entrenched pattern of our conflict resolution


Heads, you win
If the coin lands on heads, you will be declared the winner


Tails, I lose
If the coin lands on tails, I will be declared the loser


Bad news
This is an unfavorable outcome for me


If we were playing cards you'd be the one to deal
You have control over the situation in this conflict, just like when you deal cards in a game


You'd play with loaded dice and fix the roulette wheel
You would cheat to ensure your victory, just like you'd rig a gambling game


You pick 'em at the races like I've never seen
You have a history of gambling and using underhanded tactics to win


And then you make me pay off like a slot machine
You take advantage of me like a machine that pays out its winnings


Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
Let's continue this conflict


Take my money (take my money)
Take what you want from me


You know the odds are yours (flip it baby)
You're confident that the result will be in your favor


So flip the coin
Let's leave the outcome to chance and see who wins


I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
I'm going to change my approach to conflict resolution


From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
I will take control and cheat to ensure my victory, just like you do


I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
I will cheat in the same way that you do to make sure I win


So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win
If we try again to resolve a conflict this way, I will cheat and guarantee my own success


Heads, I win
If the coin lands on heads, I will be declared the winner


Tails, you lose
If the coin lands on tails, you will be declared the loser


Bad news
This is an unfavorable outcome for you




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GARY USHER, BRIAN WILSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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