Musicians are creative people, and they can sing just about anything. Most of them sing about things in their lives, other people’s lives, and society at large. The topics mostly covered include love, money, and even gambling. Several songs have spoken about gambling in different capacities and games. Here are some of them.
1. The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
The song is among the most popular songs about gambling. It is played across casinos. In the song, Kenny Rogers narrates how he met a gambling man on a train one evening. The chorus has some great words of wisdom for card game lovers. He 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. You never count your money when sitting at the table as there will be time enough to count them when the dealing is done. It is a country song popular in global casinos. You may also find it in the background of some live games in most South African online casinos. The selection here is quite similar to other markets like Europe where online casinos like 1xBet and Slots Palace have long been established. Though online gambling in South Africa is more of a grey area, it is not illegal to play in one of the online casino sites. However, one should also make sure they are licensed by institutions like the Malta Gaming Authority or the Gibraltar Gambling Commission.
2. Viva Las Vegas by Elvis Presley
Viva Las Vegas is a song theme song for a 1964 film with the same name. It starred Elvis Presley playing Lucky Jackson. It is a song popular in most casinos and celebrates the thrill and the adrenal rush that moves in one’s body when betting. He sings, ‘Bright light city going to set my soul, going to set my soul on fire -got a whole lot of money that’s ready to burn, so get those takes up higher’. It is a song about gambling.
3. Poker Face by Lady Gaga
In this song, Lady Gaga tries to compare relationships to playing Poker Face, a popular card game. It was among her first hits as she was beginning her career as an international pop musician. Commonly known as the Game of Love, the Poker Face card game requires that players hide all their true emotions. If you want to win the game, you must never show your opponents what you are feeling. She likens the game to a relationship and urges people to have a poker face during intimate moments with their significant others.
4. Shape of My Heart by Sting
Most people who don’t pay attention to the song’s lyrics may never have known that it talks about gambling. The song is about a poker player who plays not to win the game but to understand and master the mystery of luck and fate. Years after singing the song, Sting explained that the song was about a gambler who was a philosopher in playing cards. Here is a snippet of the lyrics, ‘He deals the cards as a meditation, and those he plays never suspect. He doesn’t play for the money he wins, he doesn’t play for respect, and he deals the cards to find the answer. The sacred geometry of chance, the hidden law of a probable outcome, and the numbers lead a dance.’
5. The Winner Takes It All by Abba
Abba is such a sensational music group. They sing in a Swedish pop style and have a great play of words. In their song, ‘The Winner Takes It All’, they explain how a divorce is like a gamble between two people whereby one spouse takes it all, and the loser gets nothing. This is a popular betting term applicable in most games.
6. Aces of Spades by Motorhead
Motorhead, a heavy rock band, sang the hit in 1980. In most interviews, they said that the song was inspired by slot machines played by one of their members. Lemmy, a bassist and frontman in Motorhead, played the game in London pubs. Later, Lemmy sang other songs about spinning fruit and wheels and admitted to cramming lots of betting metaphors. They were a great inspiration for music.
7. Queen of Hearts by Juice Newton
Juice Newton sang the classic country song in the 80s. It compares falling in love to a card game where he says that you wear your heart on your sleeve. He further insists that the joker is not the only fool who will do anything for you. Most interpreters feel that the song suggests that you have many options for love, just like in the cards. Today, the song is played in most casinos to psych up gamblers.
8. Countin by 2 Chainz
Hip hop fans can relate to when 2 Chainz made references to gambling in his rap. He expresses the pain of betting and losing. His lyrics, ‘Bet a hundred thousand with the Falcons, lost a hundred thousand with the Falcons’. He shows his listeners how bad it feels when you bet huge amounts of money and lose.
Conclusion
Music is a great way to portray a message. Whatever gambling activity you love, you will always find a gambling anthem for the activity.
