In 2019, PokerStars named Motorhead’s “Ace of Spades” as the greatest gambling song ever played after surveying 1,000 of its European users. Many music fans may have other favorites, but this is an honor which the song’s writer, and Motorhead’s frontman Ian Fraser “Lemmy” Kilmister, would have appreciated as a fellow gambler.
Lemmy passed away in 2015 at the age of 70 due to cancer and, although he was not necessarily a world-famous gambler, he certainly enjoyed gambling occasionally and wrote about it in a number of the band’s top songs.
Lemmy, the gambling rocker
Anyone who has listened to Motorhead knows that most of the group’s songs focus on the live fast and die young, ‘a rolling stone gathers no moss’ sort of rock and roll energy. Lemmy wrote a majority of the songs for the group and although he thankfully did not die young, he certainly lived a full, rock and roll life.
Lemmy was born in the heart of rock and roll, Liverpool, where he grew up surrounded by music and the changing rock and roll scene. He worked as a roadie for a number of the biggest rock legends to ever live, including Jimi Hendrix and The Move.
After a period of transition, Lemmy developed the band Motorhead together with Phil “Philthy Animal” Taylor and “Fast” Eddie Clarke. Together they created an innovative new sound that fused together punk and heavy metal to create a dynamic blend. Motorhead broke up in 1980, but Lemmy kept performing with other members right up until his death in 2015.
“Ace of Spades”
If you have ever heard “Ace of Spades”, you will understand why it has become a classic of the genre. The narrator of the song dispenses with concerns about losing stating: “you win some, lose some, all the same to me / the pleasure is to play”. Lemmy has perfectly expressed how many gamblers feel about playing, that it is a fun and exciting pastime to enjoy, and that it is possible to have fun even if you are not taking home the big jackpot every night.
True to his rocker spirit, Lemmy also imbued the song with a certain measure of menace and darkness. Closer to the end of the song, the lyrics read: “pushing up the ante, I know you gotta see me / read ‘em and weep, the dead man’s hand again / I see it in your eyes, take one look and die”. It is impossible not be filled with a sense of anarchic energy and pleasure listening to these lyrics as the sense of breaking the rules, lifting off societal constraints and running free is celebrated.
You will not be surprised to learn that the song enjoyed a huge amount of success upon its release in 1980. “Ace of Spades” spent 13 weeks on the UK Singles Chart. By January 2016, over 208,800 digital copies of the song had been sold.
The rise of online gambling
Online casinos have been around for a few decades, but in the last couple of years, they have become incredibly popular. There are now hundreds of different online casinos all vying for the attention of prospective gamblers by offering extensive libraries of games, bonus offers and seasonal promotions. There are now even Metal-themed online casinos which are specifically tailored to the tastes of Metal music fans.
Online casino platforms are an easy way for gamblers to try out new strategies or even learn to play baccarat or other table games. This is because playing online removes all of the ambient noise and distraction which comes with gambling in person at a brick-and-mortar casino.
Other classic gambling songs
Although PokerStars has ranked “Ace of Spades” as the greatest gambling song of all time, the highs and lows of gambling and casino games have inspired hundreds of artists and musicians throughout time. Another one of the greatest gambling songs is arguably House of the Rising Sun, particularly when played by The Animals in 1964.
Other classic songs which riff on gambling or take inspiration from it include The Rolling Stone’s “Casino Boogie” and “Tumbling Dice”, Lady Gaga’s “Poker Face”, “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers, “Casino Queen” by Wilco and “Queen of Hearts” by Juice Newton. However, this is only a small sampling of the many amazing tunes penned in the name of gambling and throwing the dice. It is not hard to see why gambling has inspired so many intense songs and ballads.
