Heads You Win, Tails I Lose


Original Album
Surfin' Safari
Written By
Brian Wilson/Gary Usher
Produced By
Nick Venet
Lead Vocals
Mike
Recorded On
September 5, 1962
Length
2:20
Notes
  • Gary Usher: "Brian and I would always flip a coin to decide things. This ine got written because we were always looking for contemporary expressions to make into songs. At the same time, we wrote a corny country song called 'Timber, I'm Falling In Love With You'."
  • One of the funniest songs the Beach Boys recorded. Kinda sad, really.
Lyrics
Every time
We have a fight
We flip a coin
To see who's right

Why do we have to gamble just to see who's right?
Why can't we arbitrarily resolve a fight?
But with you're style of gamblin' there's no chance to win
That's how it is, and that's the way it's always been

Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Bad news

If we were playing cards you'd be the one to deal
You'd play with loaded dice and fix the roulette wheel
You pick 'em at the races like I've never seen
And then you make me pay off like a slot machine

Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Heads, you win
Tails, I lose
Bad news

Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
Take my money (take my money)
You know the odds are your's (flip it baby)
So flip the coin

I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Bad news

Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
Take my money (take my money)
You know the odds are your's (flip it baby)
So flip the coin

I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Bad news

Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Heads, I win
Tails, you lose
Bad news
Chords
A...................G..........................F.....................E
Every time, we have a fight, we flip a coin to see who's right

...........A................................................F#m
Why do we have to gamble just to see who's right?
.............A...............................F#m
Why can't we arbitrarily resolve a fight?
..........D....................................................................E
But with you're style of gamblin' there's no chance to win
..............D.....................................................E
That's how it is, and that's the way it's always been

F#m.......................E.................F#m.....................E............................A
Heads you win, tails I lose, heads, you win, tails, I lose, bad news

....A............................................................F#m
If we were playing cards you'd be the one to deal
.............A......................................................F#m
You'd play with loaded dice and fix the roulette wheel
..........D...............................................E
You pick 'em at the races like I've never seen
...........D.......................................................E
And then you make me pay off like a slot machine

....................D
Oh well, match me honey (match me honey)
A
Take my money (take my money)
.............................................D..................................B7..........E
You know the odds are yours (flip it baby), so flip the coin

.........A............................................................F#m
I'm gonna make some changes with this gamblin' game
............A...............................................F#m
From now on I'm the dealer and I'll do the same
.......D.............................................................E
I'll load my dice and stack the deck and fix the odds again
......D......................................................E
So if you want to flip to see who's right I know I'll win

Chart prepared by Francis Greene

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