The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Well the wicked king of clubs awoke
And it was to his queen turned
His lips were laughing as they spoke
His eyes like bullets burned
The sun's upon a gambling day
His queen smiled low and blissfully
Let's make some wretched fool to pay
Plain it was she did agree
He send his deuce down into diamond
His four to hart, and his trey to spade
Three kings with their legions come
Preparations soon where made
They voted club the day's commander
Gave him an army face and number
All but the outlaw jack of diamonds
And the aces in the sky
Well, he gave his sevens first instructions
Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation
Between a man named Gold and man named Mudd
Club filled Gold with greedy vapors
Till his long, green eyes did glow
And Mudd was left with the sighs and trembles
Watching his hard earned money go
Flushes fell on Gold like water
Tens they paired and paired again
But the aces only flew through heaven
And the diamond jack called no man friend
Now, the Diamond Queen saw Mudd's ordeal
Began to think of her long lost son
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy
And prayed to the angels every one
Now, the Diamond Queen, she prayed and prayed
And the Diamond Angel filled Mudd's hole
The wicked King of Clubs himself
Fell in face down in front of Gold
Now, three kings come to Club's command
But the angels from the sky did ride
Three kings up on the streets of Gold
Three fireballs on the muddy side
The club queen heard her husband's call
But Lord, that Queen of Diamond's joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall
Turned out to be a wandering boy
Now, Mud he checked and Gold bet all
And Mud he raised and Gold did call
And the smile just melted on his face
When Mudd turned over that diamond ace
Now, here's what this story's told
If you feel like Mudd you'll end up Gold
If you feel like lost, you'll end up found
So amigo, lay them raises down
And it was to his queen turned
His lips were laughing as they spoke
His eyes like bullets burned
The sun's upon a gambling day
His queen smiled low and blissfully
Let's make some wretched fool to pay
Plain it was she did agree
He send his deuce down into diamond
His four to hart, and his trey to spade
Three kings with their legions come
Preparations soon where made
They voted club the day's commander
Gave him an army face and number
All but the outlaw jack of diamonds
And the aces in the sky
Well, he gave his sevens first instructions
Spirit me a game of stud
Stakes unscarred by limitation
Between a man named Gold and man named Mudd
Club filled Gold with greedy vapors
Till his long, green eyes did glow
And Mudd was left with the sighs and trembles
Watching his hard earned money go
Flushes fell on Gold like water
Tens they paired and paired again
But the aces only flew through heaven
And the diamond jack called no man friend
Now, the Diamond Queen saw Mudd's ordeal
Began to think of her long lost son
Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy
And prayed to the angels every one
Now, the Diamond Queen, she prayed and prayed
And the Diamond Angel filled Mudd's hole
The wicked King of Clubs himself
Fell in face down in front of Gold
Now, three kings come to Club's command
But the angels from the sky did ride
Three kings up on the streets of Gold
Three fireballs on the muddy side
The club queen heard her husband's call
But Lord, that Queen of Diamond's joy
When the outlaw in the heavenly hall
Turned out to be a wandering boy
Now, Mud he checked and Gold bet all
And Mud he raised and Gold did call
And the smile just melted on his face
When Mudd turned over that diamond ace
Now, here's what this story's told
If you feel like Mudd you'll end up Gold
If you feel like lost, you'll end up found
So amigo, lay them raises down
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Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve.
The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future.
Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere"
The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
This song makes me hanker for a game of high-stakes poker. It's basically a poem set to guitar; Townes doesn't even really sing the words. But it's brilliant.
As for the final hand of the game:
Mudd has: the QUEEN of DIAMONDS ("Diamond Queen saw Mudd's ordeal"), the ACE of DIAMONDS ("The diamond angel filled Mudd's hole"), at least one other DIAMOND ("three fire balls on the Muddy side"), and the JACK of DIAMONDS (because "the diamond jack called no man friend" for most of the game, but in the end, "Lord, that Queen of Diamond's joy When the outlaw in the heavenly hall turned out to be her wanderin' boy." The ace is in the hole, so Gold doesn't know he has it.
Gold has: 3 Kings including the King of clubs ("Three kings up on the streets of gold") The Queen of Clubs ("The club Queen heard her husband's call").
These clues, and the fact that Mudd has the better hand, is all we have to go on.
So at best, Mudd has a Royal Flush, and Gold has a full house, kings over queens. And at worst, Mudd has either a flush or a straight, and Gold has three of a kind.
Gold and Mudd are playing five-card stud Poker. Within this game, the cards are somewhat personified so that the Clubs and the Diamonds are at war with each other. Gold wins most of the hands with Club flushes and such, but Mudd's luck turns around when he goes all in for the last deal. Gold gets four kings, but the Ace of Clubs betrays him (remember that Gold had been winning with Club flushes and the King of Clubs' help, somehow) by falling into Mudd's hand and giving him all four aces, allowing Mudd to win everything back (apparently with some help from the Queen of Diamonds).
I've never been much for Poker, so I might be getting some of the particulars of their hands wrong, but it basically makes sense from the lyrics.
I guess you can take it deeper with the last lines if you want, but I just like to leave it as an incredibly well-told story of two men playing Poker.
The song is about a game of five card stud. In five card stud, each player is dealt one card face down, and then four cards face up. The early part of the song describes how Gold won many hands ("Flushes fell on Gold like water.."), but no one has been dealt the jack of diamonds. The song personifies Mudd's feeling of losing when the diamond queen prays to her "long lost son" (the diamond jack). In the next hand, Mudd is first dealt an ace of diamonds (angel = ace) and Gold is dealt the king of clubs face down. Gold is then dealt three kings face up ("on the streets" means three of the four cards visible to the other player, though the fourth card has not been dealt yet), giving him four kings, and Mudd is dealt three aces (fireballs = aces). "The outlaw in the heavenly hall" refers to the last card for Mudd, the jack of diamonds, he's an outlaw, being a jack, in the heavenly hall because every other card in Mudd's hand is an ace, or angel.
Thus, the last hand is, Gold = 4 kings + queen of clubs, Mudd = 4 aces + jack of diamonds.
The important thing is that some cards are up, some are down, we hope for the best, expect the worst...that is life. The details are rhyme and meter.