For My Sunday Song #109, “Ace of Spades” by Motorhead gets the focus this week. This is one of the most iconic Motorhead songs and it reached #15 on the charts when it was released back in 1980 on the album titled ‘Ace of Spades’. The song actually hit the UK charts again after Lemmy’s death in 2015. It went all the way to #13, two spots higher than the original run.
The song is all about gambling and has every known gambling cliche known to man included in the song and yet it works. It was only 2:48 in length yet so memorable and impactful. The menacing opening bass riff by Lemmy and that fast driving, dirty rock sound matched up with that gritty vocal by Lemmy is what makes this one of the great rock songs of all time. It was the song that introduced me to Motorhead and I am sure I am not the only one.
As I am not a gambler (ok I am not a good one), I was curious about the dead man’s hand. It turns out the Dead Man’s Hand relates to the hand that Wild Bill Hickok had when he was shot in the back of the head by Jack McCall while playing poker back in 1876. The hand he supposedly had was 2 Black 8’s and 2 Black Aces.
One funny story about the song is that while performing this song for two years, Lemmy would sing Eight of Spades instead of Ace and no one noticed the difference (thanks songfacts.com).
Give it a listen and let me know what you think. Thanks and Happy Sunday!
“Ace Of Spades”
You win some, lose some, it’s all the same to me,
The pleasure is to play, makes no difference what you say,
I don’t share your greed, the only card I need is
The Ace Of Spades
Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil,
Going with the flow, it’s all a game to me,
Seven or Eleven, snake eyes watching you,
Double up or quit, double stake or split,
The Ace Of Spades
You know I’m born to lose, and gambling’s for fools,
But that’s the way I like it baby,
I don’t wanna live forever,
And don’t forget the joker!
Pushing up the ante, I know you got to see me,
Read ’em and weep, the dead man’s hand again,
I see it in your eyes, take one look and die,
The only thing you see, you know it’s gonna be,
The Ace Of Spades
2 Loud 2 Old Music 
A tune for ever. Still have my 12 inch copy. I remember them playing it as the ‘house band’ on The Young Ones TV series back in the day.
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They were the house band on The Young Ones? Cool. I don’t think I saw that show even though we eventually got the reruns here in the States.
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It was for the episode called ‘Bambi’ – just as the Young Ones are leaving to catch the train for their appearance on TV show University Challenge, Motörhead turn up in their living room and start playing Ace of Spades.
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Good running song. Lemmy is from Stoke the same place as Robbie Williams. I know who I would prefer to lend my ears to.
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I think I knew that and I am sure I could guess which one.
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Ahhh! The sound of Motörhead on a Sunday morning. What could be better. That’s the way I like it Baby
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Not much could be better. Right now though it is more like “Rock you like a Hurricane” in my house as Hurricane Florence has now reached us and it has been raining like crazy and the wind is picking up a bit.
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Dude, I’m hoping it does nothing more than rock you a little. Good luck Mate.
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It has died down a lot and is a really bad storm now. Hopefully it will just be rain. We will probably lose power sometime today and I am hoping it is after the football game I want to watch.
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Godspeed 2loud2oldmusic
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Thank you sir.
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The 8 of spades, brilliant!
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That was the best thing I learned about the song. If that is really true, it is really awesome!
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The song that introduced me to Motörhead also. And what a tune. Happy Sunday, indeed.
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Great am waker upper tune!
Great track and great review with insight like 8 of Spades!
Ha!
Hope your family is hanging in there!
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Thanks. We are. It has rained a lot and still a lot more to go. Part of our little town has no power, but so far we are not that part.
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Music doesn’t get any better than this.
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