“Ace of Spades” – Single by Motörhead from the album Ace of Spades
B-side: “Dirty Love”
Released: 17 October 1980
Recorded: 4 August – 15 September 1980
Studio: Jackson’s Studios, Rickmansworth, England
Label: Bronze
Songwriters: Eddie Clarke, Lemmy, Phil Taylor
Producer: Vic Maile
Ace Of Spades appears on Motörhead’s album ‘Ace Of Spades’. Originally released on Bronze Records on 8th November 1980, produced by Vic Maile. The line up on this album was Lemmy, Fast Eddie Clarke and Philthy Animal Taylor.
The song spent 13 weeks in the UK Singles Chart, and originally peaked at number 15 upon its initial release. At the midweek point in January 2016 it reached No. 9 and in the official Friday chart they reached number 13, following the death of frontman Lemmy in December 2015 and subsequent dissolution of the band. It has sold 208,830 digital copies as of January 2016. It reached the top of the UK Rock & Metal Singles and Albums Charts on 9 January 2016.
This is Motörhead’s most famous song; it is about gambling and risks. Lemmy recalled writing the song in an interview with Mojo magazine February 2011: “‘Ace of Spades’ is unbeatable, apparently, but I never knew it was such a good song. Writing it was just a word-exercise on gambling, all the clichés. I’m glad we got famous for that rather than for some turkey, but I sang ‘the eight of spades’ for two years and nobody noticed.”
The “Ace Of Spades” is the dead man’s hand, which was Wild Bill Hickok’s hand as he was shot dead during a game of poker in 1876. The hand consists of aces and eights, including the ace of spades.
Lyrics
If you like to gamble, I tell you I’m your man,
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
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
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,
