When you think of John Lennon on Double Fantasy, the album he made with Yoko Ono that was released just prior to his death, you likely remember songs of home, reconciliation, and love. “I’m Losing You” provided a bluesy change of pace, as it dealt with the pricklier moments that can derail a long-term relationship.
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What is “I’m Losing You” about? What was the incident that inspired the song and caused Lennon to look back at harder times with Ono? And how did two members of Cheap Trick end up making a huge impact on the finished track? Let’s look at this gritty rocker that flies in the face of the warm vibes on the rest of the album.
Hanging on the Telephone
John Lennon started writing the song that would become “I’m Losing You” in 1978. It was originally called “Stranger’s Room,” and the structure that would eventually be included on “I’m Losing You” was pretty much in place even then. But Lennon needed an igniting incident that took place in 1980 to finish writing the song, as he explained to interviewer David Sheff:
“It literally started when I tried to call from Bermuda and I couldn’t get through. I was mad as hell and feeling lost in space and it’s … just as much a description of the separation period in the early ’70s as that occasion when I physically couldn’t get through on the phone.”
With “I’m Losing You,” Lennon was able to access all the tortured emotions he felt when he was separated from Ono during his so-called “Lost Weekend” phase. Its addition to Double Fantasy was crucial, because it helps to balance out all the benign musings on love all around it. It’s the song that shows you the darkness so you can appreciate the light.
Tale of the Trick
Lennon recorded much of Double Fantasy with the same core group of musicians. But since “I’m Losing You” featured a bit of a harder edge, he decided initially to look for some outside help to complete the track. Jack Douglas, who was producing Double Fantasy, had worked previously with Cheap Trick, who were at the height of their popularity at that time. Douglas summoned guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos from the band to work on the track.
The pair were fans of all things Beatles, and Nielsen thought of the song in terms of Lennon’s gritty solo debut John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. He played some serrated riffs and tore through a few impressive solos, while Carlos kept a rugged beat. Lennon loved what he heard.
But, for some reason, a decision was made to wipe the contributions of Nielsen and Carlos from the track and record the song over again. (One possibility that has been suggested: Yoko Ono didn’t initially know how popular Cheap Trick was, and once she found out, she didn’t like the idea of guest stars on the album). In any case, Lennon brought back the original Double Fantasy players, and they essentially mimicked what Nielsen and Carlos had done.
What is the Meaning of “I’m Losing You”?
“I’m Losing You” finds the narrator disoriented by his present situation and looking to get back to his true love. The opening lines (Here in some stranger’s room / Late in the afternoon / What am I doing here at all?) suggest that he’s perhaps with another woman, one who is only serving to remind him of what he’s missing.
After venting frustration about a missed phone call, he describes the limbo in which he’s currently trapped: Here in the valley of indecision / I don’t know what to do / I feel you slipping away. He suggests a temporary fix (Just put a Band-aid on it / And stop the bleeding now). But he knows none of that can happen unless he’s forgiven: Well, do you still have to carry that cross?
Lennon’s singing on “I’m Losing You” is raw and visceral, indeed somewhat reminiscent of the primal screaming he did on some of those songs found on John Lennon/Plastic Ono Band. It’s a song that nods at an unhappy past as a way of appreciating the happy home life that John and Yoko eventually found.
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Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images
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