Arctic Monkeys
In today’s blog we’ll be focusing on what we feel are the very best in gambling related songs. While our list might be a little adventurous, there are more than enough articles available online which celebrate gambling focused songs by the likes of Bob Dylan, T-Bone Walker and Kenny Rogers. While we don’t doubt for a moment the artistic merits of these efforts (especially not in the case of Dylan), we’ve decided to go against the grain and pick songs by a variety of artists, including the likes of Cat Power, the Arctic Monkeys and more. Simply read on for our top 5 gambling songs.
1. Arctic Monkeys – The View From the Afternoon
Three albums in and the Arctic Monkeys have become one of the biggest bands in the UK, if not the world. However, it’s the opening track of their first album, Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not which we’ve picked as our favourite gambling song. Featuring the lyrics “I want to see all of the things that we've already seen/I want to see you take the jackpot out the fruit machine/And put it all back in/You've got to understand it you can never beat the bandit, no”, “The View From the Afternoon” highlights the trials and tribulations of a typical evening out and easily wins the (much coveted!) prize of best gambling related song.
2. Motörhead – Ace of Spades
We couldn’t feature a list of gambling related songs without including Motörhead’s “Ace of Spades”. Whilst it’s been beaten to the number one spot by the Arctic Monkeys, Lemmy and co’s tale about “dancing with the devil” is a classic track and highlights the mindset of a gambler, whether they’re playing casino games, or gambling with their life. Speaking about the song, Lemmy suggested that while he used “cards and dice” metaphors, he’s more into slots, “but you can't really sing about spinning fruit, and the wheels coming down”.
3. Lupe Fiasco – American Terrorist
While Lupe discusses a variety of themes in “American Terrorist”, we felt he deserved a place in our top three simply for the following lines: “Give black man crack/Glocks to teens/Give red man craps/Slot machines”. It’s Fiasco’s vitriolic discussion of tribe owned casinos in the United States which really caught our attention and shows why he’s regarded as one of best artists in hip hop today. “American Terrorist” features on Lupe Fiasco’s 2006 album, Food & Liquor.
4. Jimmy Eat World – Big Casino
While the title of “Big Casino” is taken from a Jimmy Eat World side project called Go Big Casino, the video for “Big Casino” (you can check it out here) features the band playing amongst fading casino signs, fitting with the general theme of the song. Featuring lyrics such as “I’ll accept with poise, with grace/When they draw my name from the lottery”, “Big Casino” shows Jimmy Eat World at their most bittersweet and, of course, entertaining.
5. Cat Power – Silver Stallion
Originally a song by the Highwaymen, in 2007, Cat Power covered “Silver Stallion” on her album Jukebox. The result was a breathtaking rendition which echoed back to Cat Power’s earlier, You Are Free days. While the song is more concerned with stealing a silver stallion, Chan (short for Charlyn) really makes it her own when she utters the following lines; “And we're gonna ride/Ride like the one eyed Jack of diamonds with the devil close behind.”
