Skynyrd’s Song ‘Am I Losin” Will Make You Think Twice About The Price Of Fame

(Left) Discogs/(Right) Fair Use via Wikimedia Commons

When Lynyrd Skynyrd first got started, the members were just a bunch of boys from Florida. Throughout their rise to fame, they always managed to stay true to their roots, but it wasn’t without difficulty. 

What person doesn’t wish for fame and fortune at some point in their life? That dream became a reality of the members of Skynyrd, but as they soon learned, fame comes with a heavy price.

Lead singer Ronnie Van Zant wrote about the price of fame in the group’s hard-hitting song “Am I Losin’,” which was included on their third studio album, Nuthin’ Fancy. Also written by guitarist Gary Rossington, the song serves as the band’s mournful reflection on the friendships they lost after achieving success in the music industry.

As narrator, Ronnie, laments over the fact that he’s lost his friend, saying that he hasn’t changed since he became famous, but his friend has:

“Now my friend won’t talk to me. Let me tell you why, he thinks I’ve changed because of a dollar sign…And it’s so strange when you get just a little money, your so called friends want to act just a little funny.”

“Am I Losin'” is perhaps one of Skynyrd’s most personal songs, which is what makes it such a gem in their catalog. This is something the band seems to know well, since they recorded it once more for their acoustic album Endangered Species.

But it’s not the acoustic version of “Am I Losin'” that we have to share with you today, but rather the original version from Nuthin’ Fancy. Take a listen below.