What music do you like listening to? Regardless of your answer, we are more than sure that you, at least once in your life, had a chance to hear the sound of Lemmy Kilmister’s heavy guitar riffs. Real rock fans can recognize his “Ace of Spades” from the very first notes. But what made a genuine star write a song about gambling: the thirst for glory or love for such online platforms as vegas casino? Keep reading to finally find it out!
Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll….& Gambling?
We bet everyone knows this famous moto whose idea is to promote a hedonistic lifestyle. The majority of rockstars stick to the pattern described in the above-mentioned quote to have an appropriate image even though not each of them acts according to this phrase in their everyday life. However, there`s still an open question of whether it`s possible to complete this popular moto with gambling.
Let us use our heads to give a correct answer. Originally this phrase stems from its medieval predecessor that sounds like "Wine, women, and song." The same idea with new characters and a slightly different perspective, right? Do these changes of the form result in the modification of the meaning? Surely no! In such a way, the quote only gets an air of modern times. And in the era of the ever-increasing popularity of iGaming we cannot help but state that gambling can also be one of the elements of contemporary hedonism.
Phenomenon of Motörhead
Have you ever heard one of the theories of the origin of the Motörhead frontman`s stage name? Yes, the world-famous musician was not really called Lemmy by his parents. His name was Ian. But back to the question. There are way too many rumours that the singer was a passionate gambler who could spend hours playing slots, and at the times he was broke, he had a habit of asking his acquaintances for money, saying, “lend me.” Pronounce these two words right now, and you will be shocked at how close they sound to “lemmy”, the exact nickname always used for the band founder. Although it sounds like a legend rather than a real-life story, there is at least one true fact we wanted to highlight, which is Lemmy`s passion for gaming machines.
Have you ever thought how remarkable it is that Motörhead, throughout their career, released 23 studio albums, but still, if we ask what their most successful song is, we will get “Ace of Spades” as a reply most often? Just imagine! There`s one more question that necessitates a casino-connected answer. It`s easy to conclude that from whatever side we approach Motörhead, it always comes to gambling.
Hidden Meaning of Ace of Spades
Let`s take a precise look at this song and its lyrics. As we have already mentioned, Lemmy was attracted by one-armed bandits and fruit machines, but his decision to devote a song to card games and to use as many gambling terms in it as it was only possible became an epoch-making one. Let`s face it, the song can be easily considered a gambling anthem because of that. It has been popular for many years, and at the time when the band gave concerts, the audience, in the most literal sense of the word, demanded the performance of their absolute favourite song from the musicians. And the frontman admitted that there was a certain moment when he got sick and tired of the constant singing it.
So what are these mysterious gambling terms that are used in the song, and is it possible to understand them for those who are far from the casino industry? The following table will help you find an answer to this question.
| Term | Meaning |
| Snake eyes | Two ones as a result of throwing two dice in craps |
| To double a stake | To place one more bet that is equal to the first one |
| To split | To separate two cards of the same value into two hands |
| A joker | A playing card with a unique feature of being used instead of any other card |
| An ante | An obligatory bet that must be made by each player before dealing the cards |
| A dead man`s hand | A card combination that consists of two black aces and two black eights |
In addition to all the aforesaid terms, there`s also an ace of spades which is a central element of the song. This particular card is known as Death Card due to the fact that in the course of the Vietnam War, Americans left aces of spades on their killed enemies` bodies. Notwithstanding such a grim connotation, Lemmy Kilmister had a tattoo of this card on his left arm. Quite possibly, it meant much more than only a song name to him.
Is There Such a Thing as Incompatibility?
Our life is indeed amazing and multifaceted. It never ceases to surprise with new and unexpected intertwinings of completely different fields, which means you simply have no right to be bored if you live to the fullest. One of such far-from-expected combinations is represented by rock music and gambling. This unusual relationship, judging by the example of Motörhead, managed to capture the interest and attention of the representatives of each of the fields and doesn`t really seem to give up.