Grateful Dead Family Discography: If I Lose

If I Lose

Composer: Traditional / Stanley Brothers

If I Lose was performed by the Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band in 1987 and by the Black Mountain Boys, featuring Jerry Garcia, in 1964.

The earliest recordings of the song are called If I Lose, I Don't Care. It also occurs as If I Lose, Let Me Lose. The Stanley Brothers rearranged this earlier song as If I Lose. The majority of subsequent versions follow the Stanley Brothers arrangement and often give songwriting credit to one or both of the Stanley Brothers.

Jerry Garcia

Pure Jerry: Lunt-Fontanne, NYC, 10/31/87, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band/Jerry Garcia Band, 2004
Ragged But Right, Jerry Garcia Acoustic Band, 2010
Before The Dead, Jerry Garcia, 2018

Other recordings

no info Single (If I Lose, I Don't Care / Coon From Tennessee), Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers, 1927?
no info Single (If I Lose / Don't Go Out Tonight), Stanley Brothers, 1961
The Mountain Music Sound Of The Stanley Brothers, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 1962
More Banjo In The Hills, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 1962
New Lost City Ramblers, Vol. 5, New Lost City Ramblers, 1963
no info The Famous Song Hits Of The Stanley Brothers, Stanley Brothers, 1967
Songs and Sounds From the Bonnie & Clyde Era, Flatt & Scruggs, 1968
no info EP (Ridin' That Midnight Train / If I Lose / Little Maggie / Rank Stranger), Stanley Brothers, 196?
no info Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers, Vol. 2, Charlie Poole, 196?
no info Legendary Stanley Brothers, Vol. 2, Stanley Brothers, 1970
no info Mainer's Mountaineers, J.E. Mainers's Mountaineers, 1973
no info Stoney Creek Family Reunion Album, Stoney Creek, 1976
no info Sandman, Herb Petersen, 1977
no info Charlie Poole and The North Carolina Ramblers, 197?
Stanley Series, Vol. 1 #1, Stanley Brothers, 1982
no info Collectors Edition, Vol 4, Stanley Brothers, 1983
Stanley Series, Vol. 1 #4, Stanley Brothers, 1984
Stanley Series, Vol. 2 # 2, Stanley Brothers, 1984
Starday Sessions, Stanley Brothers, 1984
no info Lighthouse On The Shore, Norman Blake, 1985
no info Ain't Got No Blues, Back Porch Miracle, 1985
no info Norman and Nancy Blake Compact Disk, Norman and Nancy Blake, 1986
Home Is Where The Heart Is, David Grisman, 1988
Rounder Old Time Music, Various Artists (Norman Blake), 1988
no info Blizard Train, Ralph Blizard and The New Southern Ramblers, 1989
no info Old-time Country and Fiddle Tunes, Northern Valley Boys, 198?
no info The Phil Salazar Band, Phil Salazar, 1992
Early Starday-King Years 1958-1961, The Stanley Brothers, 1994
no info Southern Heritage, David Parmley, 1994
The First Fifteen Years, Hickory Hill, 1995
Songs Of The Stanley Brothers, Various Artists, 1997
Run Mountain, J. E. Mainer & His Mountaineers, 1997
Bluegrass Rules!, Ricky Skaggs, 1997
no info Straight Outta Boone Country, Various Artists (The Cowslingers), 1997
Clinch Mountain Country, Ralph Stanley & Friends, 1998
no info Best of the Best of the Stanley Brothers, The Stanley Brothers, 1998
no info Don't Cheat in Our Hometown, The Stanley Brothers, 1998
Riding That Midnight Train: Starday King Recordings 1958-1961, The Stanley Brothers, 1999
no info Rockin' & Cloggin', Hillbilly Boogiemen, 1999
no info EP, Don Reno, Red Smiley & the Tennessee Cutups, 19??
Plays Bluegrass, The David Thom Band, 2000
no info Another Season, Thunder Mountain Bluegrass, 2000
no info NPR Studio Cuts, Vol. 1, Various Artists (Ricky Skaggs), 2000
Live At The Smithsonian, Ralph Stanley & the Clinch Mountain Boys, 2001
no info I'm a Man of Constant Sorrow, The Stanley Brothers, 2001
Long Journey Home: Bluegrass Songs of the Stanley Brothers, Various Artists, 2002
Music from Big Pink, The Band, 2003 (bonus track)
no info Ridin' That Midnight Train, Stanley Brothers, 2003
Double Fiddle Time, Lisa Manning & Derek Deakins, 2004
no info Choo Choo Coming, The Stanley Brothers, 2004
no info Old Roads, New Journeys, Wolfe Bros., 2004
Charlie Poole with the North Carolina Ramblers and the Highlanders, Charlie Poole, 2005
You Ain't Talkin' to Me: Charlie Poole and the Roots of Country Music, Charlie Poole / Various Artists, 2005
Paradise at Last, Aimless Pursuit, 2006
If You Ain't Got The Do-Re-Mi, Various Artists (New Lost City Ramblers), 2007
no info Reunion, Horton Creek, 2007
no info Theme Time Radio Hour: With Your Host Bob Dylan, Various Artists (Stanley Brothers), 2008
Live In Kansas 1986, Hot Rize / Red Knuckles & the Trailblazers, 2010

Lyrics

The song was played by Jerry Garcia with the Black Mountain Boys on the 7th March 1964. The lyrics used for that performance were as follows.

I never thought I'd be here, but now I've found I'm wrong,
So come on back sweet mama, back where you belong,
I rambled all around here and I found that I could win,
So come on back and pick me up again.

If I lose, let me lose,
I don't care how much I lose,
If I lose a hundred dollars while I'm trying to win a dime,
My baby she got money all the time.

Of all the other gals I've met none could take your place,
(?........) just ain't in the race,
I rambled all around and I found that I could win,
So come on back and pick me up again.

If I lose, let me lose,
I don't care how much I lose,
If I lose a hundred dollars while I'm trying to win a dime,
My baby she got money all the time.