Loss of a Loved One is a song from The Residents' 1988 epic, God In Three Persons.
Background[]
Much like previous song, this track gives some insight into Mr. X' past. He confesses to the twins that he actually had another lover. Despite the evil nature of Mr. X According to them, they "had always been so happy". Sadly, his wife was struck with a fatal fever and died shortly after. This deeply affected Mr. X emotionally and led to extreme depression. After a tender pause with the chorus stating rather obviously that "this is the sad part", Mr. X then sincerely thanks the twins for letting him find himself again.
Life is good but I am better, for I feel at last I let her go because I finally found the truth. Sadly now, I see the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew."—Mr. X, to The Twins, Loss of a Loved One
Recordings and Performances[]
This song actually has quite a lot of significance in the history of this album. In 1987, "The Singing Resident" decided to help a brother out by composing a 23-minute instrumental titled "Knot In a Million Years". This instrumental was first released as part of an art exhibit for Homer Flynn. In 2019, when the whole track is released on the pREServed CD, it's easy to notice that parts of this track would eventually become "Loss of a Loved One" (most noticeably in the intro).
Also released in 2019 It was revealed that Hardy Fox had made a demo of this song featuring him on vocals. The instrumental behind the Hardy Fox demo is wildly different then the final version but still has very similar lyrics. Shortly after the released of the final version of the song a extended version was featured on the promotional CD "Double Shot" This extended version featured more music from "Knot In a Million Years".
In 2020, The Cryptic Corporation asked The Residents to curate a selection of their favorite songs from their own back catalog for a Spotify playlist titled "Residents' Personal Favorites"; This was one of forty songs chosen.
This song was actually absent from early show of the God In Three Persons Mini-Tour. Eventually it was first performed on May 13th, 2022. That means the only officially released version of this live performance is on the God In 3 Persons Live DVD.
The song was then officially acknowledged on April 12th, 2025 when The Residents released the last album in their "Leftovers" trilogy. This version was labeled as the "original" version of the song. The leftover liner notes tell us that when showing off a mostly finished version of the album to a select audience in 1987, The Residents believed this song could be better. That is when "Knot in a Million Years" came into the mix. The song itself is very similar to the Hardy Fox demo but features the usual Singing Resident instead.
Lyrics[]
Album Version
(Mr. X) I told them how my wife had fallen into sickness and to calling out her name with questions on her tongue. We had always been so happy that at first I wasn't sad because I thought my love could keep her strong. But I never thought so wrongly for the fever fought too strongly and it seemed she never fought at all.
Soon she died, and I despaired upon the love seat we had shared so many times on pleasant afternoons. I tried and tried to understand why love itself could not command my true love from the comas of her mind. Now, empty, open, and foreboding, stretching out like darkened clothing somehow stained with silence and with fear.
Death had brought its separation, giving me an education of a dull and slowly drifting day. I filled my emptiness with sorrow, taking what I could not borrow from the friends I finally drove away.
(Chorus) This is the sad part. Oh, it's such a sad part...
"Yes, my life was nearly ruined, till I saw what you were doing. Now I strive to keep on serving you. Life is good but I am better, for I feel at last I let her go because I finally found the truth. Sadly now, I see the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew."
Original Version (Difference in bold and italics) Not that this version is lyrically identical other then a improvised "so" and a lack of the chorus.
(Mr. X) I told them how my wife had fallen into sickness and to calling out her name with questions on her tongue. We had always been so happy that at first I wasn't sad because I thought my love could keep her strong. But I never thought so wrongly for the fever fought too strongly and it seemed she never fought at all.
Soon she died, and I despaired upon the love seat we had shared so, so many times on pleasant afternoons. I tried and tried to understand why love itself could not command my true love from the comas of her mind. Now, empty, open, and foreboding, stretching out like darkened clothing somehow stained with silence and with fear.
Death had brought its separation, giving me an education of a dull and slowly drifting day. I filled my emptiness with sorrow, taking what I could not borrow from the friends I finally drove away.
"Yes, my life was nearly ruined, till I saw what you were doing. Now I strive to keep on serving you. Life is good but I am better, for I feel at last I let her go because I finally found the truth. Sadly now, I see the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew."
G3P Live (Difference in bold and italics) This version has the biggest lyrical difference out of any version. As the Faceless Forever Encyclopedia describes "The Residents, feeling the original text has been dashed off in a mad rush, went back and gave it an editorial polish, reconfiguring a few lines while both adding and dropping material".[1]
(Mr. X) I told them how my wife had fallen into sickness and to calling out her name with questions on her tongue. We had always been so happy that at first I wasn't sad because I thought my love could keep her strong. But I never thought so wrongly for the fever fought too strongly and it seemed she never fought at all.
Soon she died, and I despaired upon the love seat we had shared so many times in Spring and Summer, Winter and the Fall. I tried and tried to understand why love itself could not command my true love from the comas of her mind. Now, empty, open, and foreboding, life became a endless ocean somehow stained with silence as I pined.
Death had brought its separation, giving me an education of a dull and slowly drifting day. I filled my emptiness with sorrow, taking what I could not borrow from the friends I finally drove away.
(Chorus) This is the sad part. Oh, it's such a sad part...
"Yes, my life was nearly ruined, till I saw what you were doing. Now I strive to keep on serving you. Life is good but I am better, for at last I finally let her go. Sadly now, I see the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew."
Hardy Fox Demo (Difference in bold and italics)
(Mr. X) I told them how my wife had fallen into sickness and to calling out her name with questions on her tongue. We had always been so happy that at first I wasn't sad because I thought my love could keep her strong. But I never thought so wrongly for the fever fought too strongly and it seemed she never fought at all.
Soon she died, and I despaired upon the love seat we had shared so many times on pleasant afternoons. I tried and tried to understand why love itself could not command my true love from the comas of her mind. Now, empty, open, and foreboding, stretching out like darkened clothing somehow stained with silence and with fear.
Death had brought its separation, giving me an education of the drifting ever darker day. I filled my emptiness with sorrow, taking what I could not borrow from the friends I finally drove away.
"Yes, my life was nearly ruined, till I saw what you were doing. Now I strive to keep on serving you. Life is good but I am better, for I feel I finally let her go to where I know she had to go. Sadly now, I see the answer. All her life she was a dancer, but no one ever played the song she knew."
Appearances[]
- God In Three Persons (1988) [Version 1]
- God In Three Persons Soundtrack (1988) [Version 2]
- In Memoriam Torso (1994) [Version 2]
- G3P Ephemera (2019) [Version 3] [Version 4]
- God In 3 Persons DVD (2022) [Version 5]
- Leftovers Again?! Again!?! (Again) (2025) [Version 6]
Versions[]
External links and references[]
- ↑ Jim Knipfel and Brian Poole, et al., Faceless Forever - A Residents Encyclopaedia, 2022. P. 111