The story of one song: “Ace of Spades” – Motörhead (3 photos + 2 videos)

Motörhead's most famous song. “‘Ace of Spades’ seems invincible, but I never thought it was such a good song,” Lemmy recalled. – When I wrote it, it was like an exercise with gambling terms - all cliches.





A cliché that became a hit

I'm glad we became famous for this and not some crap. Although I sang ‘eight of spades’ instead of ‘ace of spades’ for two years and no one noticed.”

"Dead Man's Hand"

"Ace of Spades" is a hand of cards in poker. It is also called "dead man's hand". The combination consists of aces and eights of black suits (spades and clubs). These were the cards that Bill Hickok was holding in his hands when he was shot and killed in 1876. In many westerns, the “dead man’s hand” is a kind of mystical command from above that falls to the character shortly before his death.



"Hey man, let's go Ace of Spades!"

Over the years, Lemmy got tired of playing “Ace of Spades,” but he still didn’t cross it off the set list. Despite his willful nature, he loved and respected his fans: “If I went to a Little Richard concert, I would want to hear “Long Tall Sally,” Lemmy explained. At the same time, “Hey man, let’s go with ‘Ace of Spades’ – that’s the most common phrase that’s killing me!” he said.

Own cover

In 2010, along with Phil Campbell and Mickey Dee, Lemmy recorded a blues version of "Ace of Spades" for a commercial for Kronenbourg 1664 beer. This was the first time in 30 years that Motörhead had returned to the studio with the song since the release of the original. Director Matt Doman recalls that the day in the studio with Lemmy was a rollercoaster, but it was all because he wanted to protect his song.



Leave a mark

Lemmy had "Ace of Spades" tattooed on his left forearm. In 2015, after the Motörhead frontman passed away, Dave Grohl got "Ace of Spades" tattooed on his wrist. “I have an Ace of Spades tattoo, but the thing is, Lemmy and Motörhead left their mark on me a long time ago, just like they did for everyone who loves rock and roll,” Grohl said.



From the first seconds

Scott Ian: “In 1980 I bought my first Motörhead album, Ace of Spades. I knew nothing about this group and often bought records with the covers I liked. I looked at the cover of “Ace...” and thought: “Dear Mom, the music there must be cool” - after all, there were cool dudes in the picture! I went home and listened to the disc on headphones in a tiny room in my mother’s apartment. The theme of “Ace of Spades” came first, and when a 15-year-old boy hears this for the first time in his life, it blows his mind!”

Sad pattern

"Ace of Spades" was not only a hit during Motörhead's active years, but it also confirmed a sad pattern. Following the death of Lemmy Kilmister on December 28, 2015, "Ace of Spades" re-entered the music charts. The song peaked at number 13 in the UK Top 40, and in 1980, "Ace of Spades" was at number 15 in the same ranking.