This time, I've examined a song that misinterpreted or not, makes utterly no sense even when you finally decode it. Beck’s 1993 hit “Loser,” contains so many ridiculous lyrics and potential metaphors, that is almost better to just sit back and not try to figure out his intentions.
The lyrics:
Soy un perdedor,
I'm a loser baby
so why don't you kill me,
My misinterpretations:
Sorry I’m a panda bear?
So I’m a predator?
Sore a padded door?
I'm a loser baby
so why don't you kill me,
For the longest time, I had no clue what the heck this chorus meant, so I conjured up variations of what the first line could possibly be. If you look at the rest of the song, the potential animal and object references fit nicely with the nonsense. A panda bear or a padded door? Why not? Those seem equally as random as some “beefcake pantyhose.”
However, it seems Beck was actually trying to throw in some bilingual fun, and after countless listens, one can finally understand that the undistinguishable catchy first line is a modest attempt at some Spanish infusion. Once the listener is clued into the fact it is not even English, the intention becomes so much clearer. And just in case you don’t speak the language, he has included a translation in the next line. But in the end, you might as well blame your misunderstanding on his extremely American accent.
As for the rest of the song, lyrics like “he hung himself with a guitar string” and “shave your face with some mace in the dark” just seem downright painful. And crazy. What does “Loser” ultimately teach us? Thanks to Beck, it is proven that being the slightest bit bilingual makes you a hit! Not only will listeners trip over your lyrics countless times, but once they figure out what you are really saying, a slightly abrasive, semi-useless phrase will have been learned.
"Loser" - Beck
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