Initially released as a 7" vinyl single on October 27, 1980 as a preview to the album Ace of Spades and autumn tour, Bronze Records also released a 12" vinyl pressing in special 'Christmas' picture sleeves, limited to 50,000 copies. The picture of the band in Santa outfits used on the cover was taken while the band were on tour at the Aylesbury Fair. In November the song reached #15 in the UK Singles Chart.The song is considered to be the definitive Motörhead anthem, and "put a choke on the English music charts and proved to all that a band could succeed without sacrificing its blunt power and speed".
Bronze also issued German and Spanish 7" vinyl versions which had a different sleeves, as well as a Japanese import, with a colour picture insert with song lyrics in English and Japanese. One sided test pressings (not mis-presses, used in the trade) escaped the pressing plant and are on the market.
For the lyrics, Lemmy said he "used gambling metaphors, mostly cards and dice - when it comes to that sort of thing, I'm more into the one-arm bandits actually, but you can't really sing about spinning fruit, and the wheels coming down".
On September 6, 1980 Lemmy was interviewed by Graham Neil on BBC Radio 1's Rock On Saturday show, "Bomber", "Ace of Spades" and "Love Me Like a Reptile" were played. The following month, on October 6 and October 20, the band played the song on BBC TV show Top of the Pops.
In 1988 another recording of the song was released - Ace of Spades (live) - and later withdrawn.
In September 1993 WGAF Records re-released the original 1980s track on CD-single, cassette single, 12" vinyl picture sleeve and picture disc versions, the song was covered with "Louie Louie", "Dirty Love", and "Ace of Spades (The CCN Remix)", and although the band were not too pleased with the CCN Remix version, this single reached #23 in the UK charts.
The song ranked in at #10 on VH1's 40 Greatest Metal Songs. In March 2005, Q magazine placed it at #27 in its list of the 100 Greatest Guitar Tracks.
Ace of Spaces
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You win some, lose some, it's all the same to me
The pleasure is to play, it 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
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've 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
The ace of spades
The lyrics of Motörhead's song "Ace of Spades '08" appear to be about a gambler who is a risk-taker, living for the rush of gambling and the thrill of winning, regardless of the outcome. He is proud of his freedom from greed and doesn't care about the opinions of others regarding his lifestyle. The chorus of the song alludes to the ace of spades being the only card the singer needs to win, suggesting that he is confident in his abilities and that he isn't afraid of losing.
The verse about "dancing with the devil" could be an allusion to gambling addiction, which can become dangerous and a potentially unhealthy lifestyle. The line about the joker is interesting, as it is not directly related to the game of poker, but it is associated with playing cards. The joker may represent a wildcard or unpredictable element within the game, potentially signifying the singer's enjoyment of unexpected outcomes.
Line by Line Meaning
If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man
If you enjoy taking risks, know that I am skilled in games of chance.
You win some, lose some, it's all the same to me
I don't get too upset about losing because in gambling, there is always a chance of winning and losing.
The pleasure is to play, it makes no difference what you say
Playing the game itself is enjoyable, and what others think or say doesn't change that for me.
I don't share your greed, the only card I need is
I am not motivated by the same greed as others; I only need one specific card to win.
The ace of spades
The card representing my sure win is the Ace of Spades.
Playing for the high one, dancing with the devil
I am risking everything and may be getting into trouble by playing for the highest stakes.
Going with the flow, it's all a game to me
I'm just following the game's natural course, and for me, gambling is just a game.
Seven or eleven, snake eyes watching you
These numbers in roll of the dice can determine my fate, and my opponents are carefully watching me.
Double up or quit, double stake or split
I have to decide whether to increase the ante or take half of what I already have if I'm not confident in winning.
The ace of spades
Regardless of what I choose, my win is certain with the Ace of Spades.
You know I'm born to lose
I'm not a lucky person in life or gambling, and others can predict my losses.
And gambling's for fools
In general, gambling is a foolish pursuit because you have to take risks with no guarantees of a reward.
But that's the way I like it, baby
Despite the risks and inevitable losses, gambling is still something I enjoy doing.
I don't wanna live forever
I know that a gamble may not always be worth the risk of losing everything and that life has its limits.
And don't forget the joker
It's important to remember that there is always an element of unpredictability (the joker) in any game of chance.
Pushing up the ante, I know you've got to see me
I'm increasing the bet, and I'm confident that my opponent will keep betting against me.
Read 'em and weep, the dead man's hand again
I know my hand is strong, and my opponent will be extremely disappointed when they later lose to me.
I see it in your eyes, take one look and die
I can see the fear and disappointment on my opponent's face, and the result will be their loss.
The only thing you see, you know it's gonna be
The only thing I have shown you is the Ace of Spades. You already know what's going to happen.
The ace of spades
My winning card, the Ace of Spades, once again reigns supreme.
Contributed by Cooper W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@lucip4011
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 want to 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
The Ace of Spades, uh
@organickevinlondon
it's in my "top 3 Rock songs of all time"
along with Deep Purple, Smoke on the Water,
and the Cult, She Sells Sanctuary,
ALL 3 of them, have instantly recognisable, unique, guitar intros.
(I originate from Staffordshire, the home of Motorhead
and when I created, the MOST ECO FRIENDLY, HARDCORE, EARTHY,
organic produce, home delivery company in London, back in 2003,
my company's carefully thought out logo was "the Ace of Spades",
my "company??" consisted of just 2 people,
me, someone that had risked their life TWICE to successfully save 2 peoples lives,
and suffers from DOUBLE P.T.S.D, because of THAT
and spent time in prison as an innocent person,
and my best mate Robin a fully qualified Aerobatics pilot,
who spent many years wrongfully banged up in Mental Hospitals,
when I showed Robin, the "Ace of Spades" company logo,
he just said to me "THAT is FUCKING AWESOME"
fully understanding the link between organic farmers,
the phrase "Ace of Spades", Motorhead's EARTHYNESS,
my companies no nonsense Eco friendliness and my Staffordshire heritage,
I'm sure that Lemmy, Fast Eddie and Filthy Animal Taylor,
would have approved of THAT logo too).
@0527jose
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 want to 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
The Ace of Spades, uh
@HertzVillegasC
If you like to gamble, I tell you I'm your man
You win some, lose some, 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
7 or 11, 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 for ever
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!
The Ace of Spades!
Ha!
*********
THNX FN' MOTÖRHEAD!!! \m/
@mayrebap
Lemmys' voice sounds like a pack of cigarettes & a bottle of Jack Daniels suddenly started talking
@davidhardin6649
😂😂
@amirfaisal3329
What about heroine?
@sarahwagneryost
Amir faisal that too
@jeim5480
A pack Marlboro reds actually
@joyjr91_
@@amirfaisal3329 Nah man Lemmy wasn’t into downers, he preferred the adrenaline kinds such as speed/meth. You can literally make it out by listening to the kind of music they made.
@rabmcnair4488
This song is the speed at which Lemmy lived his life, full throttle and no stopping.
@anotherbigfootwithinternet2147
One of the best ways to live life.
@BayernMunchenFan11
@@anotherbigfootwithinternet2147 and lived to 70 too boot. literally lived hard and toured until he died. mad respect.
@mufalonami2282
FUCK YESSS!!!!!