If someone asks you about a song written on gambling, millennials would answer Lady Gaga’s Poker Face, which incidentally has nothing to do with gambling except for its name. I even read somewhere that the famous song by AC/DC She has got Jack is on gambling. Really, the jack used in the song is a euphemism for claps, a disease.
But we have crafted a list of songs that portray beautifully how people’s life resembles the life of cards when they are dealt in a game. Though some online slot games such as BTV168 come with their theme-based music.
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
David Schlitz wrote the classic song about two fellow travelers on a train journeying together and talking about poker. The song elucidates a conversation between an old man advising a younger fellow traveler about the game of poker. The old man says that: –
You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
However, the song suggests that our lives are like a game of poker. We cannot live it in extremes. The interpretation of the song is rather philosophical and implies the golden mean of Aristotle in which we must not lead a life of excess. We cannot control the outcomes, but we can know how to act.
All the Right Moves by One Republic
The song is a metaphor for a time when the band was going through a rough patch. Literally speaking, the song talks about the significance of ties in making the right move and when a player gets the right cards to win.
They’ll be the king of hearts, and you’re the queen of spades
And we’ll fight for you like we were your soldiers
In this section of the song, they are mocking the music industry. They refer to the biggies of western music as the king of hearts and queen of spades as their identity and band.
The shape of my Heart by Sting
In a 1993 interview, Sting revealed and dispelled a popular belief. The song was mistaken to be a love song which the songwriter and singer revealed reflected the life of a gambler. He tries to explain the habit of gamblers. He claims that a gambler doesn’t play to win or lose but understand the mystical forces we call luck.
He deals with the cards to find the answer
The sacred geometry of chance
The hidden law of a probable outcome
The numbers lead a dance
The song is all about the chase of a gambler trying to figure out the bigger picture in the mystery of cards.
Jack of Diamonds by Blind Lemon Jefferson
It is a traditional folk song about gambling in Texas which Blind Lemon Jefferson popularized. It has been sung by many people since, but the cover by Steve James made it relevant for contemporary pop culture. It is explaining how hard it is to play the jack of diamonds. The singer is saying that jack of diamonds made him lose money, but it can make you rich if it is made to play with the right cards like queen and kings.
Bet the jack against the queen
It is gonna turn your money green
Jack of diamonds is a hard card to play
It is a hard card to play. It can make you win or lose. But a gambler can never get away from his attraction towards a card game.
That was a Crazy Game of Poker by O.A.R.
Many do not know that The Wanderer song was inspired by Stephen King’s novel The Stand. The song is an anecdote about a poker game that the singer had played with the devil who comes to a bar wearing a black hat.
I had three Jacks and a pair of nines
My mind is turning, just two shots more
There’s not much left to play
Well, then dude walks in, black hat on top
The player loses everything he owned to the devil, his property, possessions, gold, and money. Eventually, the devil tries to influences him to make the last deal and place his soul as a bet. The man refuses and walks away from the game.
Ace of Spades by Motorhead
The rock song by Motorhead is a classic song on gambling. In its literal meaning, it is saying that the world of gambling is based on chance.
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say
I don’t share your greed, the only card I need is the Ace of Spades
The ace of spades is the biggest card, and whoever gets it wins the game. Metaphorically, the game is talking about the power tussle in the lives of people. If you like gambling or the reckless way of living, the ace of spades will come and take you down.
