One of the best things about songs is that they can be about anything. Love, heartbreak, and music are all common song topics. Another topic that’s commonly explored in music is gambling. Some songs are clear about their message, while others are more subtle.
With the help of the guys from Mr Green casino, we have compiled a list of songs that you’ve probably never realised were about gambling.
“The Winner Takes It All”- ABBA
Swedish group ABBA is one of the most successful groups of all time. We’ve heard plenty of their songs such as “Dancing Queen” and “Waterloo”. “The Winner Takes It All” is another one of their songs we’ve heard. While the song is about heartbreak and a recent divorce (no, not about members Bjorn and Agnetha’s divorce), it also has an underlying gambling meaning. Card-playing and die-rolling are both symbols of the tragic heartbreak the fictional couple face in the song.
This is Agnetha’s favourite song from the group, and it’s easy to see why. The song topped the charts in the UK, Ireland, and Belgium during 1980 and peaked at number eight in the US.
“A Good Run of Bad Luck”- Clint Black
Country music may not be the most popular genre, but it has its fair share of gambling songs. One such song is Clint Black’s “A Good Run of Bad Luck”. Much like “The Winner Takes It All”, this song also uses gambling as symbolism to describe falling in love. It’s actually about a gambling enthusiast’s special feelings for a lady.
Gamblers everywhere will enjoy the many gambling references in this song. It’s topped the country charts in both the United States and Canada.
“Shape of My Heart”- Sting
Despite its release in 1993, “Shape of My Heart” by Sting is still impacting modern music, with the late rapper Juice WRLD sampling it in his song “Lucid Dreams”. This song is about a card player who gambles not for money but to discover some mystical logic. In the song, the protagonist is a poker player who expresses no emotions and wears a mask that never changes.
It was one of the rare times that longtime guitarist Dominic Miller co-wrote; Miller is also responsible for the memorable guitar riff.
“House of the Rising Sun”- The Animals
Though the origins of this song are unknown, the British rock group The Animals brought it to international fame in 1964. “House of the Rising Sun” is about a house called the rising sun “way down in New Orleans”. The house could either be a brothel, a women’s prison, or a gambling house. The protagonist’s father is also mentioned as being a gambler within the song.
The song topped the charts in the UK, the US, Canada, and many other countries.
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