From Season 1 Episode 8 of Garfunkel & Oates, "Boobs and Weird Sex." Possibly my favorite song of theirs yet. A rarity for the girls: a heartfelt balld rather than a comic, societal jab.
Joe A. Verage yeah but you can't even have a chance of winning unless you try, knowing you could lose instead. A nonentity who never competed is the worst - what's the point of even existing if you don't try?
Joe A. Verage No they are not the same, a loser learns something about themselves and what it takes to succeed that a spectator can never know. In jiu jitsu we say, There is no losing, you either win, or you learn. Having lost more often than I placed my feet on the top step of the podium (which I have also done), I humbly disagree with your assessment. It is better to try and fail than to never try at all, to not try at all is more psychology damaging than getting beat by another person.
The only guaranteed way to fail is to never try. Most people who succeed in a goal are ones who lost repeatedly. The only way to learn and improve is to lose. Even if you don't fully get what you want, trying opens up other opportunities and the act of trying is in itself a satisfying goal.
+kurodiggs o Oh, you mean like how technology makes us more productive, but all the value from extra productivity goes to capital and not labor, and we end up with income inequality where the 1% have all the money? Something like that?
+Turtle Neckson The site Census.gov says: "The nation's official poverty rate in 2014 was 14.8 percent, which means there were 46.7 million people in poverty." To answer your question: no, that is not enough. More than one in seven Americans living in poverty is disgusting and cruel.
This both makes me cry a little, but it also encourages me to keep going even after being told no a million times. Thanks Garfunkel and Oates, you kick ass.
This is completely profound... I've been a fan for years and found this gem at the perfect time. I'm a single dad of 4 trying to self publish my first book and feeling completely overwhelmed and this reminded me that I've already achieved my dream, a piece of me is out there for any who want to share it... Who cares if it doesn't sell? I did it, all on my own after 25 years of work, picking myself up every time I fell and plowing on through every obstacle. Now I'm more proud of myself than I am stressed. Thank you ladies for always making me laugh, but more importantly for touching me the way this song did.
Dude, that’s amazing!!! That’s fantastic. I’m working on my own book, but most of the time admonishing myself for not doing enough. How’s your progress going?
Wow, that’s just amazing! Cheers to you. Love this song so so much, as you say it is profound and makes you completely rething success. As we are always failing until we win. Wish you all the very best with your book, but mere surviving and raising 4 children on your own, I am in awe. I’ve one toddler and do have a partner and still feel overwhelmed but happy at the same time most of the time!
That's awesome! I'm also working on a novel (after many many life challenges), and I came here for a re-listen after feeling discouraged because my current chapter draft is terrible. But yay! I failed!
Zaxomio Nah, you can be terrible at things you've never tried, without even knowing it. For example, most people who have never tried unicycling are terrible at it, but they only find that out if they decide to try... and then they have a chance to get better at it :)
+Donald Kronos Funny you should say that. I thought I would never be able to do it, and I found out I had a great sense of balance. Seriously, I'm not being sarcastic.
This is literally my Fight Song. I've created a spreadsheet with the lyrics and listen to the song every day cause the lyrics are so true and poignant. I've always felt like that loser, and I've always thought that when I die the epitaph on my grave should say "Here lies Kathryn. She tried." That would be more manageable to engrave than all those lyrics.
I like that. I don't want to steal your idea though, so I think my tombstone will just say, "Andrew: Such a Loser." Maybe I'll have them stick a solar powered mp3 player in it to play the song when anyone comes near.
This song gave me perspective I never had before on my life. In many ways I feel my life is a succession of humiliating failures. When the song started I was preparing myself to laugh at my own loserdom, but by the end I had more respect for myself. Thanks gals!
"You're not always going to win, and that's fine. Because the story doesn't end when you lose. The story only ends when you give up. And giving up was never an option."
Thank you, ladies, for this song! I came across this song right after I got fired from my last job. I've been a professional cook for 32 years, working dead-end jobs (but I keep cooking, because I love what I do, and I'm damned good at it) ... I finally found myself promoted into a management position. And I completely sucked at management. Two months in, I realized how badly I sucked as a manager, and I knew I was going to get fired. Yet, when I was finally actually fired, it was soul-crushing. I'd been cooking in a retirement home for two years, and I'd had those two years to get to know the elderly people I was cooking for, and ... they were my friends. I got fired for my management suckage, not for my cooking. I wasn't upset about being fired (I knew I sucked as a manager); I was upset about being yanked away from the "customers" I'd been developing relationships with for two years. After years of cooking for various bosses, I wanted a chance at being "the boss". I got my chance, and I completely failed. But, like this song says, "at least I tried". I know so many other cooks who never tried. This song saved me.
I needed this today. I discovered what it means to be truly defeated, and I was dreading tomorrow because I know I’m going to be knocked down again, no matter how hard i try. But no, I’m not gonna let this break me, not until I reach my goal. This was really empowering
My initial reaction was "ew no don't do a sappy song you're ruining everything" but this is strangely motivating in its brutally honest support. Love it.
i listened to this song a lot when i was applying to jobs several years ago after having an increasingly terrible experience in the one i was in at the time. i got a new, much better job that i've been in since then, but i still listen to this song whenever i'm going through a tough time there.❤
People are missing the whole idea. The song is about how you should keep trying, no matter how hard you fail, because you're gonna reach something. It might not be exactly what you wanted, but it's better to fail a few times and eventually make something out of it than to do nothing at all. You should feel good about losing, because it means you are trying.
Exactly, plus it's more than that. It's not just the standard feel good bullshit of telling yourself you're a winner when you're not. It's the much harder lesson of looking at yourself honestly when you've lost and accepting it.
Exactly. Failing at something is a very useful tool for people to self-reflect and evaluate themselves to improve or find other goals within their reach.
As an art student, I experience a lot of criticism on my work, especially since a lot of my class involves critiquing. As much as it's supposed to help me improve, it also kinda hurts my self esteem, especially when I'm super proud of my work and it suddenly gets shut down by other people's art or words. In the end, at least I put enough effort in that even for a moment I felt proud of how far I've come from when I started the semester.
Just heard back that I didn't get a job. Just as I was about to freak out about it, a friend put this song up on Facebook. And this song really helped. Thank you so much.
I love this song too. G&O should have more like this... while I do like their 'funny, jaunty, strumming songs' as well, too many of those can start to run together and sound a bit all the same. A ballad is a nice change of pace for them, and this one has so much heart.
Just watched the Garfunkel and Oates finale featuring this song with my 2-year-old daughter. Not fearing failure is one of the most important things I want to teach her. Thank you for this.
Everyone is saying how inspiring this song is. As a spectator, I feel like shit now. Thanks a lot. Stop following your dreams, I'm better than you.... Kidding, I love this song.
James Richards I know right, how dare they feel good about themselves, it makes it that much harder for me to feel better. about not trying. Bastards...
I was going through a really tough time after failing horrifically at a job interview. This was a really good opportunity for me and I blew it in a pretty stupid way. But I remembered this song and it cheered me up. I failed but I tried. A lot of people are too scared to get out there and risk being rejected. I tried, and I failed, but it's OK. Here's to me.
Thanks ladies. Just what I needed -- right. Whatever doesn't kill you doesn't make you stronger, it just takes out another piece of you until something eventually does kill you. After eight separate cases of PTSD, seven operations (including one in which the anesthesia didn't work), two failed businesses, and more hell than anyone should be expected to survive, I just ducked for cover. Your advice -- coming from famous winners -- doesn't help at all.
+Scott Adler Well, they DID say "you deserve a cheering section too" so congrats on surviving the shitty hand that life dealt you! you are really cool and strong for doing it! GO YOU!
It's an honest to god shame these ladies don't really make music anymore. Their serious stuff is their best, and they could have really gone far. Hope all is well for both of you, we're listening if you want to make more.
Yeah. They are both quite busy with their acting careers. Rikki has been on Wednesday while Kate is a famous voice actress. So they are both doing really well
they did go far! both in music and their current careers i mean, they had their own tv show and netflix special based around their muscial comedy. thats pretty cool. by all means they did it and they reached their goal
There is such powerful truth in the lyrics to this song, the mix of emotions it invokes can still bring tears to my eyes while encouraging me laugh and smile at the same time. :)
Every time I fail I have to listen to this song to feel better. I feel really silly because I just found out I didn't make my schools cheer team and now I'm sitting here crying at a garfunkel and Oates song lol
+Adelaide Katrina Yeah, I can relate. Good on you for caring and trying. The greatest pain is trying out and caring so much that it's painful when it fails. But you know what? Another opportunity of that similar nature will come along. =D
This song made me cry ! These ladies are funny and if i may say so, pretty crued. But i believe they also have a soft, caring side to them. They're lovely !
Whenever I end up linking to this song, I wonder if people are going to watch enough to get the point, or if they're just going to assume I'm rubbing it in.
this reminds me of the fact my grandfather was in the Yukon quest, and ended up in last place because his dogs were sick and he didn't want to hurt any of them
This song really helped me explain life to my twin sister. I have followed every song you have created in the past and this one is just as good as the comedic songs I have loved. Thank you for this.
I sent this to one of my teachers hoping that he shows it to his class next year 👀 I hope he does. This is a good motivational video and it's helped me ever since it came out, so it should help others as well, and definitely the kids following me in the grades.
I’ve been a loser for awhile, but I’ve accepted it and I’m happy. I’m starting over at 31-rock bottom and it’s okay. Fuck yeah to all the losers out there! We rock so hard
