--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It's a losing proposition, but one you…" description: "\"It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse. It's the politics of contraband, it's the smuggler's blues.\" — Glenn Frey" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/glenn-frey-16490_contraband_it-s-a-losing-proposition-but-one-you-ca_2581763.jpg" --- # It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse. It's… ![“It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse. It's the politics of contraband, it's the smuggler's blues.” quote by Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/glenn-frey-16490_contraband_it-s-a-losing-proposition-but-one-you-ca_2581763.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/glenn-frey-16490_contraband_it-s-a-losing-proposition-but-one-you-ca_2581763.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/27d/glenn-frey-16490_contraband_it-s-a-losing-proposition-but-one-you-ca_2581763.jpg) > “It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse. It's the politics of contraband, it's the smuggler's blues.” [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A risky deal seems inevitable, driven by illicit motives and unavoidable circumstances. **In simple terms:** Risky deals feel inevitable. Key Takeaway Accept the risk, but weigh consequences. Themes risk politics crime inevitability Mood tense reflective Type cautionary dramatic When to use this quote - business negotiations - political decisions - illegal trade - personal choices Key Concepts moral dilemma power dynamics Questions to Reflect On - Can you identify an "inevitable" choice in your life? - What makes a risky proposition tempting? A Different Perspective Even inevitable deals can be avoided with foresight. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Contraband](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contraband/) [Law](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/law/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Smugglers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/smugglers/) ## Related quotes > [“Trying to make sense of rules that didn't make sense was rather a losing proposition.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bella-forrest/trying-to-make-sense-of-rules-that-didn-t-make-sense-was-rather-a/) [Bella Forrest](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bella-forrest/) > [“Of course, there is no conceivable way of getting by reason from the proposition "I am losing interest in this" to the proposition "This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/of-course-there-is-no-conceivable-way-of-getting-by-reason-from-the-2/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [“Of course there is no conceivable way of getting by reason from the proposition ‘I am losing interest in this’ to the proposition ‘This…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis-2/of-course-there-is-no-conceivable-way-of-getting-by-reason-from-the/) [C.S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis-2/) > [In fact I thought life was pretty much a losing proposition, and I didn't mind saying so.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-hell/in-fact-i-thought-life-was-pretty-much-a-losing-proposition-and-i/) [Richard Hell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-hell/) > [Most people who work in prison earn money through contraband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/most-people-who-work-in-prison-earn-money-through-contraband/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Something was on him and he couldn't shake it. He couldn't even see it. It was a new weapon of some sort and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-arquette/something-was-on-him-and-he-couldn-t-shake-it-he-couldn-t-even-see-it/) [Brett Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-arquette/) > [“Ordering and taking delivery on the supplies and other things they needed took ingenuity and finesse, but both were Win's specialty. Contraband that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcha-a-fox/ordering-and-taking-delivery-on-the-supplies-and-other-things-they/) [Marcha A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcha-a-fox/) > [Hope is a contraband passed from hand to hand and story to story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/hope-is-a-contraband-passed-from-hand-to-hand-and-story-to-story/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [“While we've painted the guardians of the pale in a somewhat reactionary light, let's give the gatekeepers their due. What lies beyond the pale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/while-we-ve-painted-the-guardians-of-the-pale-in-a-somewhat/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [Love is contraband in Hell, cause love is an acid that eats away bars. But you, me, and tomorrow hold hands and make vows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/love-is-contraband-in-hell-cause-love-is-an-acid-that-eats-away-bars/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCE PREVENT a man from carrying his cigarettes and cell phone in his pants pocket, the rectum provides a workable alternative. So workable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/should-circumstance-prevent-a-man-from-carrying-his-cigarettes-and/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [When people discuss his plays, he says that he feels like he's standing at customs watching an official ransack his luggage. He cheerfully declares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/when-people-discuss-his-plays-he-says-that-he-feels-like-he-s/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [Cause POP POP POP it goes my rubber band. So STOP STOP STOP sniffin that contraband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/cause-pop-pop-pop-it-goes-my-rubber-band-so-stop-stop-stop-sniffin/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [“Morality is a contraband in war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/morality-is-a-contraband-in-war/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“Λαθράνθρωπος, οι = ἂνθρωπος/οι, που λαθραῖα συν~κατα~λέγονται στο εἲδος των ἀνθρῶπων ~ Lathranthrope, Lathranthropes = the person or persons that get smuggled into being included within the Human species neology by Ale3ia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ale3ia/lathranthrope-lathranthropes-the-person-or-persons-that-get-smuggled/) Ale3ia ## More by Glenn Frey > [Hey, a woman changed her mind - what else is new?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/hey-a-woman-changed-her-mind-what-else-is-new/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [I'm just a bleeping maniac in straight clothing. There's no reason to dress my monster up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/i-m-just-a-bleeping-maniac-in-straight-clothing-there-s-no-reason-to/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [If the Eagles were to get back together, it would have to be for the right reasons. I think it would look awful if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/if-the-eagles-were-to-get-back-together-it-would-have-to-be-for-the/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [I think that's a powerful thing, to be able to engage your audience and let them put some of themselves into the music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/i-think-that-s-a-powerful-thing-to-be-able-to-engage-your-audience/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [Money was a much saner goal than adoration. They'll both drive you crazy but if I'm going to blow my brains out for five…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/money-was-a-much-saner-goal-than-adoration-they-ll-both-drive-you/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [Somebody asked my friend Bob Seger, Why do you think the Eagles broke up? He said, Hotel California.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/somebody-asked-my-friend-bob-seger-why-do-you-think-the-eagles-broke/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [There's another kind of poverty that only rich men know, a moral malnutrition that starves their very souls.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/there-s-another-kind-of-poverty-that-only-rich-men-know-a-moral/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [I grew up in Detroit. So my mother always loved big band music.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/i-grew-up-in-detroit-so-my-mother-always-loved-big-band-music/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [Nobody told Don Henley or me that we were going to make it as solo artists, but I can speak for Don when I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/nobody-told-don-henley-or-me-that-we-were-going-to-make-it-as-solo/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [I'm just as insufferable and useless as every other dad is. The dynamic never changes, no matter what you do for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/i-m-just-as-insufferable-and-useless-as-every-other-dad-is-the/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [It was 1967, and the hippie thing was happening. I got into experimenting with drugs while I was in college in Michigan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/it-was-1967-and-the-hippie-thing-was-happening-i-got-into/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [Except for a few guitar chords, everything I've learned in my life that is of any value I've learned from women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/except-for-a-few-guitar-chords-everything-i-ve-learned-in-my-life/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [I really think one of the greatest allies you can have is the imagination of your audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/i-really-think-one-of-the-greatest-allies-you-can-have-is-the/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [People don't care how you feel. You need to paint pictures, you need to tell stories. That's what people want. They want to be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/people-don-t-care-how-you-feel-you-need-to-paint-pictures-you-need-to/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) > [Detroit... where 'mother' is half a word.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/glenn-frey/detroit-where-mother-is-half-a-word/) [Glenn Frey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) [Explore all 39 Glenn Frey quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/glenn-frey/) ## More Contraband quotes > [Most people who work in prison earn money through contraband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/malcolm-x/most-people-who-work-in-prison-earn-money-through-contraband/) [Malcolm X](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/malcolm-x/) > [“Morality is a contraband in war.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/morality-is-a-contraband-in-war/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [Cause POP POP POP it goes my rubber band. So STOP STOP STOP sniffin that contraband.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nicki-minaj/cause-pop-pop-pop-it-goes-my-rubber-band-so-stop-stop-stop-sniffin/) [Nicki Minaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nicki-minaj/) > [When people discuss his plays, he says that he feels like he's standing at customs watching an official ransack his luggage. He cheerfully declares…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-stoppard/when-people-discuss-his-plays-he-says-that-he-feels-like-he-s/) [Tom Stoppard](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-stoppard/) > [“SHOULD CIRCUMSTANCE PREVENT a man from carrying his cigarettes and cell phone in his pants pocket, the rectum provides a workable alternative. So workable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/should-circumstance-prevent-a-man-from-carrying-his-cigarettes-and/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [Love is contraband in Hell, cause love is an acid that eats away bars. But you, me, and tomorrow hold hands and make vows…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/assata-shakur/love-is-contraband-in-hell-cause-love-is-an-acid-that-eats-away-bars/) [Assata Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/assata-shakur/) > [“While we've painted the guardians of the pale in a somewhat reactionary light, let's give the gatekeepers their due. What lies beyond the pale…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-kotler/while-we-ve-painted-the-guardians-of-the-pale-in-a-somewhat/) [Steven Kotler](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-kotler/) > [Hope is a contraband passed from hand to hand and story to story.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-berger/hope-is-a-contraband-passed-from-hand-to-hand-and-story-to-story/) [John Berger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-berger/) > [“Ordering and taking delivery on the supplies and other things they needed took ingenuity and finesse, but both were Win's specialty. Contraband that would…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcha-a-fox/ordering-and-taking-delivery-on-the-supplies-and-other-things-they/) [Marcha A. Fox](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcha-a-fox/) > [“Something was on him and he couldn't shake it. He couldn't even see it. It was a new weapon of some sort and his…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-arquette/something-was-on-him-and-he-couldn-t-shake-it-he-couldn-t-even-see-it/) [Brett Arquette](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-arquette/) > [“Λαθράνθρωπος, οι = ἂνθρωπος/οι, που λαθραῖα συν~κατα~λέγονται στο εἲδος των ἀνθρῶπων ~ Lathranthrope, Lathranthropes = the person or persons that get smuggled into being included within the Human species neology by Ale3ia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ale3ia/lathranthrope-lathranthropes-the-person-or-persons-that-get-smuggled/) Ale3ia > [“Λαθρανθρωπία = το να συν~κατα~λέγεται λαθραῖα ἒνα ἂτομο/α, στο εἲδος των ἀνθρῶπων. ~ Lathranthropia = the smuggled inclusion of a person or persons within the Human species. neology by Ale3ia”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ale3ia/lathranthropia-the-smuggled-inclusion-of-a-person-or-persons-within/) Ale3ia > [“We are carrying contraband words with us, memorized, tucked away in tattered journals and stored magically on disks in Anna's left pocket. Canadian words,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivan-e-coyote/we-are-carrying-contraband-words-with-us-memorized-tucked-away-in/) Ivan E. Coyote > [Goods produced under conditions which do not meet a rudimentary standard to decency should be regarded as contraband and not allowed to pollute the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/franklin-d-roosevelt/goods-produced-under-conditions-which-do-not-meet-a-rudimentary/) [Franklin D. Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/franklin-d-roosevelt/) > [Morality is contraband in war.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/morality-is-contraband-in-war/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) [Browse all 15 Contraband quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contraband/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It's a losing proposition, but one you can't refuse. 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