After gaining a following as a popular live act on college campuses, the band has gained popular success since signing to Lava Records in 2005, with their singles "Love and Memories" and "Shattered (Turn the Car Around)" gaining mainstream radio airplay. Speaking with Songfacts in an interview, Roberge explained "Love and Memories" was inspired by the Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet movie, The Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind.
The members of O.A.R. first came together in Rockville, Maryland in the basement of drummer Chris Culos' childhood home in 1996. As a young group of musicians, they were the prototype of the modern, self-starting band--taking charge of their fate by working the internet and building an identifiable sound. The band’s music, a rock/reggae fusion, consisted of songs that were fully accessible, yet teasingly elusive. Attracting fans all across the country, the band members toured relentlessly, pushing their album sales through boundless dedication and word-of-mouth appeal, never waiting for the industry to catch up. O.A.R. owes much of their success to piracy and Napster, the mp3 sharing engine. Around 2000, O.A.R.'s popularity greatly increased among college students because their song "Crazy Game of Poker" was a huge hit on Napster.
By the time the band had reached their 10 year anniversary together, they had sold over 1.2 million albums and performed in front of over 1 million people. Their studio record, Stories of a Stranger, produced radio favorites “Love and Memories” and “Heard the World” as well as mtvU’s Most Downloaded Video of 2006, “Lay Down.” The band followed up the successful release with a live double disc CD and DVD set, Live From Madison Square Garden, recorded during the band’s second sold-out performance at the prestigious arena.
Early in 2008, the band members holed themselves up in a studio in Los Angeles to work on their next project, All Sides. The album was released on July 15th.
The Heaven Songfacts reports that the first single from O.A.R.'s seventh studio album, King was released on June 7, 2011 on Wind-Up Records.
. For more information about O.A.R., go to www.ofarevolution.com.
That Was a Crazy Game of Poker
O.A.R. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
20 throw down in my fist of rage
And the man to my left has folded down
Well Johnny doubled up with a royal flush
I had three Jacks and a pair of nines
My mind is turning, just two shots more
There's not much left to play
What am I, if I'm lucky
Wasn't a county cop
'Cause I'm just runnin' out of time
Who's up for game two
What to do
My wallet's gettin' thin
And I just lost my watch last night
Well I gotta problem
Just one answer
Gotta throw it all down
And kiss it goodbye
Yeah!
That was a crazy game of poker (That was a crazy game of poker)
I lost it all (I lost it all)
But someday I'll be back again
And I, never to fold. (Never to fold)
Who's up for game three
I can barely see the bourbon drowning next to me
And I just lost it all
Well there's a man sittin' next to me
Red, was smiling
'Cause it's funny
I don't have no money tonight
Yeah
That was a crazy game of poker (That was a crazy game of poker)
I lost it all (I lost it all)
But someday I'll be back again
And I, never to fold. (Never to fold)
Bop bop bop
I say now skittlee dat dat,
Well how bout that?
I'm coming out the front never coming out the back
And I walked into the bar yesterday
'Cause I had something to do, something to say
And Johnny walked in right behind me
And I didn't turn around
'Til I heard the sound of his feet
Falling on the ground
I looked over my shoulder and I saw a clown
And I said what'cha doin' in the bar tonight.
So I said Johnny whatcha doing tonight?
He looked at me with a face full of fright
And I said, how 'bout a revolution?
And he said right.
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah jah jah
Jehovah!
And I said, what'cha looking at?
He hit me across the face with a bat
I grabbed my .45 and I said let's get out and go
So he opened the door and said
Do what you're here for
I said I'm wandering round the road four to four
And I said I been walking
For about a thousand years.
And my feet are growing tired
My eyes a little wired
Don't know what to do unless I retire
And he just said let's play some crazy poker
So I said Johnny whatcha doing tonight?
He looked at me with a face full of fright
And I said, how 'bout a revolution?
And he said right.
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say die
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say die dah dah
Day day oh!
I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
But I'm not gonna quit and I'm not gonna stop
I don't give a shit cause I got the drop
Johnny just got two eyes just like mine
And I'm feeling kinda funky, kinda fine
And I drank a bottle of whiskey, 'fore I came
Came to the bar to see what's the same
I saw my man named Johnny sittin' across the table from me
And to my left was a man, he had no chin
Didn't really think about starting a scene
The man to my right wasn't feeling kinda nice
He looked kinda mad and I felt bad
Because I took his money last night it's kinda funny
But now I'm just struggling
I need a honey-bunny.
I don't know what to say anymore
So I'm just gonna go out, anywho
So I said Johnny whatcha doing tonight?
He looked at me with a face full of fright
And I said, how bout a revolution?
And he said right.
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah
I say of, you say a
I say revolution, and you say jah jah jah
Jehovah!
"That Was a Crazy Game of Poker" by O.A.R. is a song that follows the ups and downs of a game of poker. The lyrics start with the singer having a strong hand, but as the game progresses, he loses all of his money. He meets Johnny, who is also down on his luck, and they both decide to start a revolution. The song contains many references to alcohol, drugs, and violence, but it ultimately ends on a hopeful note.
The singer's emotional rollercoaster during the game of poker is mirrored in the music, which features a mix of upbeat rock and slow ballad sections. The lyrics are open to interpretation and can be interpreted as a metaphor for the ups and downs of life. It could also be seen as a commentary on the thrill of gambling and the destructive power of addiction.
The chorus "That was a crazy game of poker" is repeated throughout the song, and it serves as a reminder of the unpredictability and excitement of the game. The song is a fan favorite and is often played in concert by O.A.R. It is known for its long, improvised live performances that can last for up to 20 minutes.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh my
Expressing surprise or excitement
20 throw down in my fist of rage
I angrily put down $20
And the man to my left has folded down
The player beside me gave up and quit the game
Well Johnny doubled up with a royal flush
Johnny won by getting five good cards in a row
I had three Jacks and a pair of nines
My cards were a little bit good but not good enough to win
My mind is turning, just two shots more
I am becoming more and more unsure of my choices, and I just have two more drinks left
There's not much left to play
There are not many rounds left in the game
Well then dude walks in, black hat on top
A person wearing a black hat entered the room
What am I, if I'm lucky
I wonder what will happen to me, assuming I am fortunate enough to win
Wasn't a county cop
I am relieved that the new person is not a police officer
'Cause I'm just runnin' out of time
I am quickly running out of chances to win
Who's up for game two
Who wants to play another round of the game?
What to do
I am unsure of what my next move should be
My wallet's gettin' thin
I am running low on cash
And I just lost my watch last night
I misplaced my watch the previous night
Well I gotta problem
I have a major issue
Just one answer
I only have one solution
Gotta throw it all down
I need to risk everything that I have left
And kiss it goodbye
I will probably lose everything that I wager
Yeah!
Expressing enthusiasm or agreement
That was a crazy game of poker (That was a crazy game of poker)
The previous game was very exciting and unpredictable
I lost it all (I lost it all)
I lost all of my money
But someday I'll be back again
One day I will try again
And I, never to fold. (Never to fold)
And next time, I will not give up
Who's up for game three
Who wants to play a third round?
I can barely see the bourbon drowning next to me
I am already quite drunk and struggling to see
And I just lost it all
I lost everything again
Well there's a man sittin' next to me Red, was smiling
A man with a red shirt is sitting beside me, looking happy
'Cause it's funny
He finds something amusing
I don't have no money tonight
I have no money left
Yeah
Expressing agreement or understanding
Bop bop bop
Making a musical sound
I say now skittlee dat dat,
Saying something nonsensical
Well how bout that?
Isn't that interesting?
I'm coming out the front never coming out the back
I am leaving through the front entrance, not the rear exit
And I walked into the bar yesterday
I entered the bar yesterday
'Cause I had something to do, something to say
I had a reason for being there
And Johnny walked in right behind me
Johnny immediately followed me into the bar
And I didn't turn around
I did not look back
'Til I heard the sound of his feet
I only looked back when I heard him walking
Falling on the ground
Johnny fell to the floor
I looked over my shoulder and I saw a clown
I looked back and saw a clown
And I said what'cha doin' in the bar tonight.
I asked the clown what he is doing in the bar
So I said Johnny whatcha doing tonight?
I asked Johnny what his plans were
He looked at me with a face full of fright
Johnny looked scared
And I said, how 'bout a revolution?
I suggested starting a revolution
And he said right.
He agreed with my idea
I say of, you say a
Saying random words, makes no sense
I say revolution, and you say jah
Saying the word revolution and asking for agreement
I say of, you say a
Saying random words, makes no sense
I say revolution, and you say die dah dah
Asking for agreement and mentioning death
Day day oh!
Expressing excitement
I said that, was the craziest game of poker that I ever saw
I said that the previous game was the craziest one I have ever witnessed
But I'm not gonna quit and I'm not gonna stop
I refuse to give up
I don't give a shit cause I got the drop
I don't care because I am confident in my plan
Johnny just got two eyes just like mine
Johnny is just a person like me
And I'm feeling kinda funky, kinda fine
I am feeling good and energetic
And I drank a bottle of whiskey, 'fore I came
I drank an entire bottle of whiskey before arriving at the bar
Came to the bar to see what's the same
I came to the bar to see what has remained unchanged
I saw my man named Johnny sittin' across the table from me
I saw my friend Johnny sitting across from me
And to my left was a man, he had no chin
A man with no chin was sitting on my left
Didn't really think about starting a scene
I did not want to cause trouble
The man to my right wasn't feeling kinda nice
The person on my right seemed angry or unhappy
He looked kinda mad and I felt bad
He looked angry and I felt guilty
Because I took his money last night it's kinda funny
I found it amusing because I won his money the previous night
But now I'm just struggling
But now I am having trouble
I need a honey-bunny.
I need a girlfriend
I don't know what to say anymore
I am at a loss for words
So I'm just gonna go out, anywho
I am going to leave anyway
And he said, how bout a revolution?
He proposed starting a revolution
And he said right.
He agreed with himself
I say of, you say a
Saying random words, makes no sense
I say revolution, and you say jah
Saying the word revolution and asking for agreement
I say of, you say a
Saying random words, makes no sense
I say revolution, and you say jah jah jah
Asking for agreement multiple times
Jehovah!
Saying the name of God
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING,
Written by: CHRISTOPHER DAVID CULOS, MARC ANDREW ROBERGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@creativewritingcorner
It seems like all of us who went to college in the early 2000s have a special connection to this song. That's awesome.
@mitchellaustin1030
my uncle showed me this song and told me it was him and his buddy’s drinking song
@robsmith3628
That's because if you were in college at that time, this song was played over and over every night!! Great times!
@marieneu264
Yes!!! The song for so many road trips, spring breaks, study sessions, etc!!! Nothing puts me in a great mood like this song!
@rochesterjohnny7555
Wow I was thinking the same thing about this yesterday it was the most popular song when I was a freshman, rushing fraternities
@jasonarcher7268
Funny, it reminds me of going to war
@bridgelaurie9490
When the parties all but over and there’s just a few of you left in the trashed college apartment and a song like this comes on it’s spiritual. It will give you a shot to the soul.
@vancemeyers4497
...and someone pulls out a bowl
@brianshull9764
Man I listened to this on repeat in College, on deployments to Iraq, and still. Love O.A.R!
@onslaughtmma5110
I bet that was a crazy game of poker