Lyr Req: Losers (Dave Van Ronk)

Subject: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: simon-pierre
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 10:49 PM

Hi Everyone! It's been a while...

I spent my day trying to write down "Losers" by Dave Van Ronk, and my second-language-english has proven his limit once again. So... I'd ask if anyone has the record (It's on "Going back to Brroklyn" and "A Chrestomaty") and can fill the blanks? After that, I'll just have to wonder what some lines means...
---

Losers

I blew my ? playing 7 cards stud
I was playing for money, He was playing for blood
On the way back home the big winner got [mud? mock?]
Now he's just another loser like me
Losers, losers
[…
…]
He's just another loser like

See that kid sitting back at the bar
He's picking up the [?] on a Martin guitar
That poor fool thinks he's gonna be a star
He's just another loser like me
Losers, losers some are raggers, some are [?]
Make disco sounds and [hojo?] lounge
With a bunch of Losers like me

Love has busted up this [cat?] for sure
He's crying like a baby and his baby's dog
That poor fool don't know what he's crying for,
He's just another looser like me
Losers, losers
Can't say no to cruisers
But she says when he'll be back again
He's just another looser like me

There's a hobo up ahead on a golden street
[…
…
… now that one is hard!]
Losers, Losers, Some are doper, some are boozers
All I must can tell is down in hell
He's just another looser like me

When God appeared to St-John Wayne
He told him "Duke Im a-coming again
Life is just a wagon train
I'm glad you're another loser like me"
Losers, Losers, Ten dollar [?]
From Genghis Khan to the Fuller Brush Man
They're just a bunch of losers like me.
--


Thanks as always,

SP

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: simon-pierre
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 10:55 PM

Tablature here

This tab has been cut and paste all over the web, and no one took a minute to write the lyrics...

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: Amos
Date: 06 Jan 03 - 11:13 PM

Nice to see ya, Simon Pierre!! Bonjour!!

I am playing back the NPR Garrison Keeler show that Dave sang "Losres" on as I write and will try to capture the words as they come by.


A

Subject: Lyr Add: LOSERS (Dave van Ronk)
From: Amos
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 12:11 AM

Here's the best I can do Simon Pierre - he's awful hard to understand when he starts growling like a stuck Kodiak !!

LOSERS Dave van Ronk

I blew my wad playing 7 cards stud
I was playing for money, They was playing for blood
On the way back home the big winner got mugged
Now he's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Got took for my Hoovers
That short got crowned
Now he's rolling down,
He's just another loser like me

See that kid sitting back at the bar
He's picking up a storm on a Martin guitar
That poor fool thinks he's gonna be a star
He's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Some are raggers, some are bluesers
Makin' disco sounds in a HoJo lounge
With a bunch of other Losers like me

Love has busted up this cat for sure
He's crying like a baby and his baby's gone
That poor fool don't know what he's crying for,
He's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Can't say no to cruisers
But when she says when he'll be back again
He's just another loser like me

There's a hobo up in heaven on a golden street
Panhandling every angel that he'll meet
He's hocked his harp for some Reet from Pete,
He's just another like me

Losers, Losers,
Some are dopers, some are boozers
All the Muscatell is down in hell
He's just another loser like me

When God appeared to St-John Wayne
He told him "Duke I'm a-coming again
Life is just a wagon train
I'm glad you're not a loser like me"

Losers, Losers,
Ten gallon boozers
From Genghis Khan to the Fuller Brush Man
They're just a bunch of losers like me.
--

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: simon-pierre
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 12:30 AM

Ten gallon boozers! Do I miss that guy!

Thanks a lot Amos, that seems pretty faithful to what I have!

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: mack/misophist
Date: 07 Jan 03 - 10:06 AM

Somehow, I had forgotten Van Ronk. Thanks for the reminder.

Subject: Lyr Add: LOSERS (Dave van Ronk)
From: pxp
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 01:07 AM

Amos' lyrics were a great start. I've made a few corrections. I'm still unsure about three or so words, but that's life.

Losers

I blew my wad playing seven-card-stud
I was playing for money, they was playing for blood
On the way back home the big winner got mugged
Now he's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
I got took for my Hoosers
That shah got crowned
His growin' been bound,
He's just another loser like me

See that kid sitting back at the bar
He's picking up a storm on a Martin guitar
That poor fool thinks he's gonna be a star
He's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Some are raggers, some are bluesers
Makin' disco sounds in a HoJo lounge
With a bunch of other losers like me

Love has busted up this cat for sure
He's crying like a baby at his baby's door
That poor fool don't know what he's crying for
He's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Can't say no to cruisers
When she says "When he'll be back again?"
He's just another loser like me

There's a hobo up in heaven on the golden street
He'll panhandle every angel that he'll meet
He'd hock his harp for some Sneaky Pete
He's just another loser like me

Losers, losers
Some are dopers, some are boozers
All the muscatel is down in hell
He's just another loser like me

When God appeared to Saint John Wayne
He told him "Duke, I'm a-coming again
Life is just a wagon train
I'm glad you're not a loser like me"

Losers, losers
Ten gallon bruisers
From Genghis Khan to the Fuller Brush Man
They're just a bunch of losers like me

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: GUEST
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 01:25 PM

Great lyrics - which CDs does this appear on?

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: Amos
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 01:37 PM

Dunno -- he performed it on Garrison Keillor's show. Nice job, pxp! Goes to show what a second set of ears can do!! :>)

A

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: simon-pierre
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 02:57 PM

Thank you pxp. The song appears on "Going back to Brooklyn" and the double compilation "A Chrestomaty".

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: pxp
Date: 11 Jan 03 - 06:16 PM

Losers appears on A Chrestomathy: Disc 2.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: pxp
Date: 12 Feb 03 - 06:18 PM

"Losers, losers... I got took for my Hoosers"

I've been thinking a bit about a replacement word for "Hoosers". There's little to commend the word. I would replace it with "hoosis", with a possible meaning of "things".

"Sneaky Pete", I've just discovered, is American slang for fortified wine.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: GUEST
Date: 03 Jul 09 - 12:30 PM

In lyrics for Losers: not shah got crowned, but "sharp" as in card sharp---a person who can really manipulate the deck of cards, etc.

Also, I don't think it's Martin guitar, but modern guitar.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers - Dave Van Ronk
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 11 Jul 09 - 01:30 AM

That line "Now he's rolling down" or "His growin' been bound" doesn't make any sense to me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers (Dave Van Ronk)
From: dwditty
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 01:09 PM

Losers, Losers
I got took for my whosis
That shark got crowned
Now he's groan bin bound

I emailed Elijah Wald who was a great friend of DVR(and completed Dave's book). This is what he sent me.

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers (Dave Van Ronk)
From: dwditty
Date: 09 Mar 11 - 01:14 PM

Here is our version of Losers - DittyMack - acoustic guitar, sax, vocals.

LOSERS

dw

Subject: RE: Lyr Req: Losers (Dave Van Ronk)
From: Jim Dixon
Date: 14 Mar 11 - 11:53 AM

There's a nice video of Dave Van Ronk singing LOSERS at YouTube. It's preceded by a bit of an interview.