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Nobody Loves You (When You're Down And Out) Lyrics
Nobody loves you when you're down and out
Nobody sees you when you're on cloud nine
Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime
I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine
I've been across to the other side
I've shown you everything, I got nothing to hide
And still you ask me do I love you, what it is, what it is
All I can tell you is it's all show biz (x2)
Nobody loves you when you're down and out
Nobody knows you when you're on cloud nine
Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime
I'll scratch your back and you knife mine
I've been across the water now so many times
I've seen the one eyed witchdoctor leading the blind
And still you ask me do I love you, what you say, what you say
Every time I put my finger on it, it slips away (x2)
What you say, what you say, what you say
Well I get up in the morning and I'm looking in the mirror to see, ooo wee!
Then I'm lying in the darkness and I know I can't get to sleep, ooo wee!
Nobody loves you when you're old and gray
Nobody needs you when you're upside down
Everybody's hollering 'bout their own birthday
Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground
Nobody sees you when you're on cloud nine
Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime
I'll scratch your back and you scratch mine
I've been across to the other side
I've shown you everything, I got nothing to hide
And still you ask me do I love you, what it is, what it is
All I can tell you is it's all show biz (x2)
Nobody loves you when you're down and out
Nobody knows you when you're on cloud nine
Everybody's hustling for a buck and a dime
I'll scratch your back and you knife mine
I've been across the water now so many times
I've seen the one eyed witchdoctor leading the blind
And still you ask me do I love you, what you say, what you say
Every time I put my finger on it, it slips away (x2)
What you say, what you say, what you say
Well I get up in the morning and I'm looking in the mirror to see, ooo wee!
Then I'm lying in the darkness and I know I can't get to sleep, ooo wee!
Nobody loves you when you're old and gray
Nobody needs you when you're upside down
Everybody's hollering 'bout their own birthday
Everybody loves you when you're six foot in the ground
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Lennon had a way of being so brutally honest & captivating at the same time. One of my favorite Lennon songs, underappreciated indeed
I had goosebumps when I heard this song. Very honest indeed.
Here's a URL to describe the origins of the phrase "cloud nine":
http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/on-cloud-nine.html
I recommend to everyone the version of this on the "Anthology" collection - divorced from the annoying Phil Spector production, this is one of Lennon's barest & most emotional songs. One of Lennon's greatest gifts was to take a personal experience & make it seem universal - from "I'm A Loser" to "Watching The Wheels" - & certainly the pain he felt when he was separated from Yoko at the this time in his life shines through in this song.
& of course, it's eerily appropriate after his assassination.
It means John Lennon was an honest man and also an accomplished whistler.
I agree this is one of my favorites i love this song its so powerful
Such a fantastic song. "I've seen the one eyed witchdoctor leading the blind"...Maharishi Mahesh Yogi???
I first heard this song at night. It is the type of song that doesn't help me sleep.
anyone knows the meaning of cloud nine? George has a song with that title. A great song of john, so painful and so peaceful...yin and yang.....tao...lao tse
"I've seen the one eyed witchdoctor leading the blind"...the Illuminati perhaps?