The thrill and fun of playing card games pair well with adrenaline-fueled rock music, so it is not that surprising that there are several rocking songs about playing cards. Here are five of the coolest and most kicking.
Wishbone Ash’s Diamond Jack
Wishbone Ash is cooler than you think. The last song on the British prog rockers’ 1977 album Front Page News is called Diamond Jack. Sure, the song may be unabashedly commercial, but it is a great feel-good song that contains great card game references like, “black magic or lady luck, who will show me the way?” Many have commented that the song could have been inspired by the game of five-card-stud that Steve McQueen plays in the classic western movie The Cincinnati Kid. If you are now in the mood for some card-game action yourself, head over to an online live casino where you can play with real dealers. And if you prefer Jacks of spades and clubs rather than the Jack of Diamonds, you can try to get a hand of twenty-one by playing blackjack live.
Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler
Okay, so country legend Kenny Rogers’ famous song The Gambler is not a rock song, but even hardcore metal fans can surely appreciate this 1978 track about a gambler and a singer meeting on a train. The song uses plenty of card references as analogies for the ups and downs of life, including the famous chorus of, “You’ve got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold ‘em.” And for a slightly rockier version of the classic song, check out the Smashing Pumpkins’ version that they performed at the Newport Music Hall in Columbus in 2008.
The Eagles’ Desperado
This ballad from classic old rockers The Eagles was not actually a hit when it was first released in 1973. It was only when Linda Ronstadt released her version that Desperado became the famous song it is today. Written by Don Henley and Glenn Frey, Desperado features numerous references to poker, including lines like, “the queen of hearts is always your best bet,” and “don’t you draw the queen of diamonds.” Why the queen of hearts is luckier than the queen of diamonds is anyone’s guess, though. Maybe it is a reference to love always being the winner and materialism being the bringer of unhappiness. Maybe he was playing solitaire. Or maybe we are overthinking it.
Alesana’s Double or Nothing
Although described as a post-hardcore band, Alesana is a band that toys with lots of different sounds and inspirations, including metal, pop-punk, and classic rock. The North Carolina band formed in 2004, but it was only after the release of their third album The Emptiness in 2010 that the band gained mainstream popularity. The track Double or Nothing features on The Decade EP, which celebrates the band’s tenth anniversary. Singer Shawn Milke said the song is about sitting at a poker table at three in the morning when you are close to running out of cash but double up anyway.
Motörhead’s Ace of Spades
There is only one rock song about playing cards that most everybody knows. Yes, Motörhead’s Ace of Spades is not only a glorious rocking assault about the wins and losses of playing cards, the song also pretty much single-handedly invented modern heavy metal. In addition to the “you win some, lose some” lyrics that we all know, the 1980 song is full of plenty of other references about playing cards that any gambler is sure to want to sing along with, such as, “pushing up the ante,” and “read ‘em and weep.” Quite simply, Ace of Spades is one of the greatest adrenaline-rushing three minutes of music you will ever hear.
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