Top 10 Songs About Playing Cards

The Animals Are in the House (YouTube)

On this day in 1967, one of the great movies of all time, Cool Hand Luke, made it’s debut. As noted on History.com, it starred Paul Newman “as a tough, anti-authoritarian, poker-playing prisoner.” Newman won a Best Actor nomination and George Jackson, who played the chain-gang boss, took home a statuette for Best Supporting Actor.

To paraphrase: “”I don’t care if it rains or freezes, long as I have my Top 10 Songs About Playing Cards, right here on the dashboard of my computer…”.

10. The Grateful Dead – “Deal”: “Goes to show, you don’t ever know, Watch each card you play and play it slow.”

9. The Animals – “House of the Rising Son”: “Now the only thing a gambler needs, is a suitcase and trunk.
And the only time he’s satisfied, Is when he’s on a drunk.”

8. Grand Funk Railroad – “American Band”: “Up all night with Freddie King, I got to tell you, poker’s his thing.”

7. Motorhead – “The Ace of Spaces”: “Pushing up the ante, I know you’ve got to see me, read ‘em and weep, the dead man’s hand again.”

6. Leonard Cohen – “The Stranger”: “And then sweeping up the jokers that he left behind, you find he did not leave you very much, not even laughter.”

5. Suzanne Vega – “No Cheap Thrill”: “Butcher Boy thinks he’ll be splitting the pot. But I’ve seen what he’s got and it isn’t a lot.”

4. Blood, Sweat and Tears – “Go Down Gamblin’”: “Blackjack hand, dealer man, you’d better pay off that last debt, Two-bit hand, a 21 is all I ever get.”

3. Townes Van Zant – “St. John The Gambler”: “But I’ve given my soul to St John the gambler, Tomorrow comes time leave.”

2. Traffic – “Dealer”: In a smoky little room, Shadows moving in the gloom, Someone turns a running flush
And breaks the deathly quiet hush.”

1. Kenny Rogers – “The Gambler”: “You gotta know when to hold ‘em.”

More of Michael’s Top 10 picks can be found here …