# Songs about games **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 20, 2019, 1:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777 "2019-06-20T01:29:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/21 "2019-06-20T12:13:57Z")
The **Lana Del Ray** song **Video Games** references video games (No! Really?) and also mentions playing pool and darts. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![TCMF-2L](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tcmf-2l/32/16553_2.png) [@TCMF-2L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TCMF-2L)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/22 "2019-06-20T12:24:38Z")
The OP rules out songs about sport which eliminates a vast amount of UK songs about football. Usually by football teams often in partnership with established musical acts. However how about snooker? There have been a few snooker songs and perhaps the most famous is **Snooker Loopy** featuring most of the (then) top players and pub rock legends **Chas and Dave**. In the UK in 1986 it got as high as Number 6 in the singles chart. TCMF-2L ---
**Author:** ![Treppenwitz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treppenwitz/32/3445_2.png) [@Treppenwitz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Treppenwitz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/23 "2019-06-20T12:52:02Z")
What an opportunity to post a link to [Tumbling Dice](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6U8JlcB_BzA) by the Stones. Never going to turn that one down. j ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/24 "2019-06-20T14:10:34Z")
> [@Horatio\_Hellpop](#): > > I thought Stagger Lee was about a gangster in turn-of-the-century St. Louis? Yes, but in most versions, it’s about a poker game leading to murder. ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/25 "2019-06-20T14:20:33Z")
> [@mbh](#): > > One verse of [Desperado](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=brhf7IdHZ10) by the Eagles Actually two verses if you count the [Reprise](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eagles/doolindaltondesperadoreprise.html) on the original album The queen of diamonds let you down, She was just an empty fable The queen of hearts you say you never met Your twisted fate has found you out And it’s fin’lly turned the tables Stole your dreams and paid you with regret. Jack of Diamonds by Blind Lemon Jefferson and a whole lot of other singers. ---
**Author:** ![Misnomer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/misnomer/32/14897_2.png) [@Misnomer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Misnomer)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/26 "2019-06-20T14:36:26Z")
> [@EinsteinsHund](#): > > Another one is “[Games Without Frontiers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3xZmlUV8muY)” by Peter Gabriel, after the [European TV games](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeux_Sans_Fronti%C3%A8res) of the seventies. The song’s title came from the television series (and the line “it’s a knockout” came from the British version of the show), but the song itself is not about those kinds of games; [it’s about war and diplomacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_Without_Frontiers_(song)). ---
**Author:** ![cochrane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cochrane/32/10441_2.png) [@cochrane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cochrane)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/27 "2019-06-20T14:38:01Z")
How about _Solitaire_, written by Neil Sedaka and covered by Andy Williams and the Carpenters, among others. It uses the game as an allegory for a man who lost his love “through his indifference”. And solitaire’s the only game in town And every road that takes him, takes him down And by himself, it’s easy to pretend He’ll never love again And keeping to himself he plays the game Without her love it always ends the same While life goes on around him everywhere He’s playing solitaire ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/28 "2019-06-20T15:13:14Z")
> [@Misnomer](#): > > The song’s title came from the television series (and the line “it’s a knockout” came from the British version of the show), but the song itself is not about those kinds of games; [it’s about war and diplomacy](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Games_Without_Frontiers_(song)). I know, but Gabriel took the TV games as a metaphor for politics and diplomacy, and that counts for me for this thread. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_other_waldo_pepper/32/12370_2.png) [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Other_Waldo_Pepper)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 3:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/29 "2019-06-20T15:26:45Z")
> [@TCMF-2L](#): > > The OP rules out songs about sport which eliminates a vast amount of UK songs about football. Usually by football teams often in partnership with established musical acts. > > However how about snooker? How about Jim Croce singing about how a pool-shootin’ boy, name of Willie McCoy, got warned that You Don’t Mess Around With Jim? (One way or another, there’s a valuable lesson to be had about not hustlin’ people strange to you — even if you _do_ got a two-piece custom-made pool cue.) ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/30 "2019-06-20T16:02:04Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > Actually two verses if you count the [Reprise](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/eagles/doolindaltondesperadoreprise.html) on the original album > > The queen of diamonds let you down, > She was just an empty fable > The queen of hearts you say you never met > Your twisted fate has found you out > And it’s fin’lly turned the tables > Stole your dreams and paid you with regret. > > Jack of Diamonds by Blind Lemon Jefferson and a whole lot of other singers. Speaking of which, there is also “Jack o’ Diamonds” aka “Rye Whiskey”, a traditional song which seems to have a million different variations. The one my parents were familiar with seems to be [Jules Allen’s](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rtsEZgYTBzg) version. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 5:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/31 "2019-06-20T17:29:58Z")
_I’ve Seen All Good People_ by **Yes** , at least the _Your Move_ part, has lots of chess references ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/32 "2019-06-20T18:48:33Z")
[Firelink](https://firelink.bandcamp.com/album/the-inveterate-fire) is a couple of guys who write progressive black metal songs about the _Dark Souls_ video game. They’re really good (if you’re into black metal, that is; if you’re not you prolly won’t wanna listen to much of this). ---
**Author:** ![HMS\_Irruncible](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hms_irruncible/32/7394_2.png) [@HMS\_Irruncible](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HMS_Irruncible)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/33 "2019-06-20T19:05:07Z")
_Wicked Game_ by Chris Isaac To go literal, in 1981 a recording group named Buckner & Garcia recorded the album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man\_Fever\_(album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_Fever_(album)) in which every song was about one of the top 10 arcade games at the time. It went gold. ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/34 "2019-06-20T19:16:08Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > and everything on the [Pac-Man Fever](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_Fever_(album)) album by Buckner & Garcia. > [@HMS\_Irruncible](#): > > To go literal, in 1981 a recording group named Buckner & Garcia recorded the album [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man\_Fever\_(album)](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pac-Man_Fever_(album)) in which every song was about one of the top 10 arcade games at the time. It went gold. That’s really cool. I was a 13 year old connoisseur of arcade games in 1981 and would have loved the album, but somehow Pac Man Fever never crossed over to Germany (the single and the album, that is, the game certainly did). ---
**Author:** ![Railer13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/railer13/32/9742_2.png) [@Railer13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Railer13)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/35 "2019-06-20T19:29:07Z")
_[Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agdoeRpTfHg)_ by Bob Dylan. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/36 "2019-06-20T19:32:15Z")
> [@The\_Other\_Waldo\_Pepper](#): > > How about Jim Croce singing about how a pool-shootin’ boy, name of Willie McCoy, got warned that You Don’t Mess Around With Jim? Leroy looked like a jigsaw puzzle with a couple of pieces gone. “Desperado”: _Don’t you draw the Queen of Diamonds, boy She’ll beat you if she’s able You know the Queen of Hearts is always your best bet_ ---
**Author:** ![EinsteinsHund](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/einsteinshund/32/8400_2.png) [@EinsteinsHund](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EinsteinsHund)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/37 "2019-06-20T19:33:19Z")
> [@Railer13](#): > > _[Lily, Rosemary and the Jack of Hearts](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=agdoeRpTfHg)_ by Bob Dylan. Good one! Also his [Rambling Gambling Willie](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tl8GiGaCck). I love both songs. ---
**Author:** ![Evin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/59ef9b/32.png) [@Evin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Evin)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/38 "2019-06-20T19:39:52Z")
_Straight Down the Middle_, Bing Crosby re: the game of golf. ---
**Author:** ![jaycat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jaycat/32/3015_2.png) [@jaycat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jaycat)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 7:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/39 "2019-06-20T19:48:12Z")
[This song](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NeF7jqf0GU4) isn’t just \*\*\*about \*\*\*a game… it \*\*\*is \*\*\*a game! ---
**Author:** ![Wheelz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wheelz/32/5718_2.png) [@Wheelz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wheelz)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2019, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777/40 "2019-06-20T21:24:23Z")
While it’s not _about_ games, REM’s somewhat enigmatic “Man on the Moon” references The Game of Life, Monopoly, Twenty-one, Checkers, Chess, Twister, and Risk. The point being that Andy was just playing games with all of us, perhaps? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/songs-about-games/835777.md?page=3)