Ace of Spades is undoubtedly Motorhead’s most successful single. Yet the track is more than just a well-known metal anthem. It taps into a symbolism that has grown over hundreds of years. So why did Lemmy choose to write about this fairly innocuous graphical feature?
Influences on the Ace of Spades
The track was from the band’s fourth studio album of the same name. It was their most successful commercial venture, even after two huge albums in the form of Overkill and Bomber.
Despite this, the song was both a blessing and a curse. It got them onto the mainstream TV shows, just at a time when the UK metal scene was becoming huge. Lemmy admitted that he was later sick to death of the song, quipping that they didn’t become fossilized after that track. He also said he had sung the ‘Eight of Spades’ for two years without anyone noticing.
The Iconography of the Ace of Spades
Also known as the death card, the iconography of the Ace of Spades started long before Motorhead crafted their speed metal opus. It actually began with 17th-century playing card decks, when the Ace of Spades card in the deck was chosen to bear the printing house insignia due to tax laws. Over time, the methods to print them changed, and there were even people who were tried and convicted for forging duty stamps on the Ace of Spades.
Lemmy was also a well-known collector of war memorabilia, and the Ace of Spades has been used many times in places of conflict. It has been adopted by the British Army, the Indian Army, and US 101st Airborne Division.
All of this must have been in Lemmy’s mind when writing the song, mainly because he was known to frequent casinos. The card is most associated with poker, where it can often be part of a strong opening hand. Finding out how to play poker and keeping up to date on the latest news is much easier in today’s world. From strategy to the best poker players, there is a large community online and news on poker and tournaments is easy to get hold of. It is also easy to play on a mobile device and there are televised events. However, when it was still an underground pursuit using card imagery must have added to its counterculture mystique and intrigue.
Lemmy’s Casino Influences
In his own words, Lemmy admitted that the whole song was about poker. He was not a big player, and instead loved slots but said that spinning reels and fruit symbols was not good material for a metal track. The line ‘Dead man’s hand again, aces and eights’ was influenced by the alleged hand that Wild Bill Hickok, a Wild West folk hero, was holding when he had been shot.
Aside from poker, this Western theme was something that also characterized the track and album. The band are dressed as cowboys on the artwork despite the fact that the dusky desert shots were taken in good old England.
The beauty of the track is that as time goes on, the symbolism becomes more relevant. As poker and underground metal grow in popularity, this fusion increases making it a figurehead track for both.
Source: metaladdicts.com
