View source for I'm a Loser

{{distinguish|Loser (Beck song)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2011}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2020}}

{{Infobox song
| name       = I'm a Loser
| cover      = [[File:I'm a loserbeatles.jpg|160px]]
| caption    = Cover of the song's sheet music
| alt        =
| type       = song
| artist     = [[the Beatles]]
| album      = [[Beatles for Sale]]
| released   = 4 December 1964
| format     =
| recorded   = 14 August 1964
| studio     = [[Abbey Road Studios|EMI]], London
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Folk rock]],<ref>{{Allmusic | song | im-a-loser-mt0010100320 | "I'm a Loser"}}</ref>{{sfn|Unterberger|2009}} [[country music|country]]<ref name=rollingstone/>
| length     = 2:30
| label      = [[Parlophone]]
| writer     = [[Lennon–McCartney]]
| producer   = [[George Martin]]
| prev_title =
| prev_year  =
| next_title =
| next_year  =
| misc       = {{Audio sample
 | type        = song
 | file        = Beatles loser.ogg
 | description = "I'm a Loser"
}}
}}

"'''I'm a Loser'''" is a song by the English rock band [[the Beatles]], originally released on ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' in the United Kingdom, later released on ''[[Beatles '65]]'' in the United States, both in 1964. Written by [[John Lennon]],{{sfn|Sheff|2000|p=195}}{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=176}} and credited to [[Lennon–McCartney]], it was considered for release as a single until Lennon wrote "[[I Feel Fine]]".{{sfn|Taylor|1964}}

According to music critic [[Richie Unterberger]], while the lyrics tell a story of romantic rejection, "I'm a Loser" is one of the first Beatles compositions that "goes beyond young love," including "the hypocrisy of keeping up a happy face when your world's falling down".{{sfn|Unterberger|2009}}

==Composition==
{{Quote box
| quote=Looking back on it I think songs like 'I'm a Loser' and 'Nowhere Man' were John's cries for help. We used to listen to quite a lot of country and western songs and they are all about sadness and 'I lost my truck' so it was quite acceptable to sing 'I'm a loser'&nbsp;... It's only later you think, God! I think it was brave of John.
| source=[[Paul McCartney]]{{sfn|Miles|1997|p=176}}
| width=21em
| align=left
}}
In 1980, Lennon said the song was "me in my Dylan period" and added, "Part of me suspects I'm a loser and part of me thinks I'm God Almighty. [''Laughs'']"{{sfn|Sheff|2000|p=195}} Country music and [[Bob Dylan]] were catalysts for the song. The country is in the fingerpicking, guitar twang and downhearted words; in 1964, the Beatles were listening to songs by [[Buck Owens]] and [[George Jones]] that McCartney said were "all about sadness."<ref name=rollingstone>{{cite magazine|title=71 – 'I'm a Loser'|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/lists/100-greatest-beatles-songs-20110919/im-a-loser-19691231|series=100 Greatest Beatles Songs|magazine=Rolling Stone|access-date=17 June 2012}}</ref> Musicologists say the song was "notable for being perhaps the first Beatles' song to directly reflect the influence of Dylan, thus nudging folk and rock a little closer together toward the folk-rock explosion of the following year."{{sfn|Unterberger|2009}} Musicologist [[Alan W. Pollack|Alan Pollack]] said the song contained "a stronger blend of folk elements than almost anything else The Beatles had done to-date."{{sfn|Pollack|1992}} The line "I'm not what I appear to be" was Lennon's most introspective to date, the start of the progression that led to "Help" and "Nowhere Man" the following year.<ref>{{cite book|last1=Hwertsgaard|first1=Mark|title=ADay in the Life: The Music and Artistry of the Beatles|date=1995|publisher=Delacorte Press|location=New York|isbn=0-385-31377-2|page=104}}</ref>

Lennon hits a low G2 in the verses, a note usually reserved for baritone and/or bass singers. This was atypical of Lennon; he sang the bulk of his Beatles songs in a tenor register. "I'm a Loser" does not mark the only occasion on which Lennon sang a low G, he also did so in "[[Happiness Is a Warm Gun]]".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/imaloser.htm |title=The Beatles – I'm A Loser – History and Information on the Beatles' I'm A Loser |publisher=Oldies.about.com |access-date=2011-08-21 |archive-date=2 April 2012 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120402064915/http://oldies.about.com/od/thebeatlessongs/a/imaloser.htm |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The song includes what would be the last of [[John Lennon]]'s harmonica solos, which had been a prominent feature of the band's early-era records and live shows. The group still occasionally used harmonica in their later recordings, such as "[[Rocky Raccoon]]".{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=149}}

==Recording and release==
The Beatles recorded this song on 14 August 1964, the same day as "[[Mr. Moonlight (song)|Mr. Moonlight]]" and "[[Leave My Kitten Alone]]". It was recorded in eight takes.{{sfn|Lewisohn|1988|p=48}}

It was released four months after it was recorded, but beforehand, it was previewed on BBC Radio on 17 November, along with three other songs from ''[[Beatles for Sale]]'' and also the "[[I Feel Fine]]"/"[[She's a Woman]]" single.

It was also performed before its 4 December 1964 release date. The Beatles performed and recorded an appearance for a British edition of the US music TV show ''[[Shindig!]]'' at the Granville Studio in London on Saturday, 3 October 1964. The performance was watched by London residents of the Beatles Fan Club. The Beatles performed three songs live: "Kansas City/Hey-Hey-Hey-Hey!," "I'm A Loser" and "Boys." The British edition of ''Shindig!'' was first broadcast in the US by ABC on Wednesday, 7 October 1964, but was never shown in Britain.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.beatlesbible.com/1964/10/03/television-shindig/|title=Television: Shindig!|date=3 October 1964 |access-date=30 March 2018}}</ref>

On the original pressings of ''Beatles for Sale'', the title was misprinted as "I'm a Losser".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discogs.com/Beatles-Beatles-For-Sale/release/7280034|title=The Beatles – Beatles For Sale|date=1965 |publisher=Discogs|access-date=20 November 2017}}</ref>

==Personnel==
*[[John Lennon]] – [[lead vocals]], [[harmonica]], [[Acoustic guitar|acoustic]] [[rhythm guitar]]
*[[Paul McCartney]] – [[harmony vocal]], [[bass guitar]]
*[[George Harrison]] – [[Electric guitar|electric]] [[lead guitar]]
*[[Ringo Starr]] – [[Drum kit|drums]], [[tambourine]]
:Personnel per [[Ian MacDonald]]{{sfn|MacDonald|2005|p=124}}

==Covers==
[[Marianne Faithfull]] covered the song in 1965 on her [[Marianne Faithfull (album)|eponymous album]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Marianne Faithful – Marianne Faithful|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/marianne-faithfull-mw0000738724|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> [[Vince Guaraldi]] covered the song on ''[[Live at El Matador]]'' in 1966 with [[Bola Sete]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Vince Guaraldi and Bola Sete: Live at El Matador – Vince Guaraldi|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/vince-guaraldi-and-bola-sete-live-at-el-matador-mw0000267603|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> [[Dennis Tufano]] and [[Carl Giammarese]] covered this song on their first duo album "Tufano & Giammarese" in the early 1970s<ref>{{cite web|title=Tufano – Giammarese – Tufano-Giammarese|date=1973 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Tufano-Giammarese-Tufano-Giammarese/release/2795383|publisher=Discogs|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> after the breakup of their previous band, the Buckinghams. This song was covered by the [[Lost Dogs]] on their 1993 album, ''[[Little Red Riding Hood (album)|Little Red Riding Hood]]''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Lost Dogs – Little Red Riding Hood|date=1993 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Lost-Dogs-Little-Red-Riding-Hood/release/3447066|publisher=Discogs|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> In 2004 [[the Punkles]] did a cover of this song on their third album ''Pistol''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Pistol – The Punkles|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/pistol-mw0000459947|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> The bands [[Sum 41]] and [[Eels (band)|Eels]] have also covered it live in concert, the latter releasing it on ''Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs)''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Eels – Sixteen Tons (Ten Songs) 2003 KCRW Session|date=10 May 2005 |url=https://www.discogs.com/Eels-Sixteen-Tons-Ten-Songs-2003-KCRW-Session/release/1686321|publisher=Discogs|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> [[Doug Kershaw]] covered the song on his 1977 album ''Flip, Flop, and Fly''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Flip, Flop & Fly – Doug Kershaw|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/flip-flop-fly-mw0000457639|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> [[The Buckinghams]] covered the song on their 1997 album ''Places in Five''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Places in Five – The Buckinhghams|url=http://www.allmusic.com/album/places-in-five-mw0001165213|publisher=AllMusic|access-date=7 September 2017}}</ref> [[Shaun Micallef]] and the cast of 'Shaun Micallef's MAD AS HELL' also covered this song for the closing credits of the show broadcast on Wednesday 27 March 2013.

In 2016 [[James Corden]] sang a version of this in ''[[Beat Bugs]]'' as Morgs the Stick Bug.

==Notes==
{{Reflist|colwidth=40em}}

==References==
{{Refbegin|2}}
* {{cite book
| last1=Womack
| first1=Kenneth
| last2=Davies
| first2=Todd
| year=2006
| title=Reading the Beatles: Cultural Studies, Literary Criticism, And the Fab Four 
| publisher=SUNY Press
| isbn=0-7914-6716-3
}}
* {{cite book|last=Lewisohn|first=Mark|year=1988|author-link=Mark Lewisohn|title=The Complete Beatles Recording Sessions|publisher=Hamlyn|location=London|isbn=0-600-61207-4}}
* {{cite book
| last=MacDonald
| first=Ian
| year=2005
| author-link=Ian MacDonald
| title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties
| publisher=Pimlico (Rand)
| location=London
| edition=Second Revised
| isbn=1-84413-828-3
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Miles
| first=Barry
| year=1997
| author-link=Barry Miles
| title=Paul McCartney: Many Years From Now
| publisher=[[Henry Holt and Company]]
| location=New York
| isbn=0-8050-5249-6
| url=https://archive.org/details/paulmccartneyman00mile
}}
* {{cite web
| last=Pollack
| first=Alan W.
| author-link=Alan W. Pollack
| title=I'm a Loser
| date=28 May 1992
| work=Notes On&nbsp;... Series
| url=http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/ial.shtml
}}
* {{cite book
| last=Sheff
| first=David
| year=2000
| author-link=David Sheff
| title=All We Are Saying: The Last Major Interview with John Lennon and Yoko Ono
| publisher=[[St. Martin's Press]]
| location=New York
| isbn=0-312-25464-4
| url=https://archive.org/details/allwearesayingla00lenn
}}
* {{cite AV media notes
| last=Taylor
| first=Derek
| year=1964
| author-link=Derek Taylor
| title=Beatles for Sale
| publisher=Parlophone
| others=The Beatles
| url=http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/disko/uklp/sale.htm
| access-date=26 December 2009
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120904121706/http://www.norwegianwood.org/beatles/disko/uklp/sale.htm
| archive-date=4 September 2012
| url-status=dead
}}
* {{cite web
| last=Unterberger
| first=Richie
| year=2009
| author-link=Richie Unterberger
| title=Review of "I'm a Loser"
| publisher=[[AllMusic]]
| url={{Allmusic|class=song|id=t462339|pure_url=yes}}
| access-date=25 September 2009
| archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101109051731/https://www.allmusic.com/song/t462339
| archive-date=9 November 2010
| url-status=dead
}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Beatles for Sale}}
* {{Notes on|http://www.icce.rug.nl/~soundscapes/DATABASES/AWP/ial.shtml}}

{{Beatles for Sale}}
{{The Beatles singles}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:The Beatles songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by George Martin]]
[[Category:Songs written by Lennon–McCartney]]
[[Category:Eels (band) songs]]
[[Category:Songs published by Northern Songs]]
[[Category:1964 songs]]
[[Category:British folk rock songs]]
[[Category:British country music songs]]