Ace of Hearts

Lyrics

I knew a joker who got left in the box
This is what he said to me
"While all the other cards are out playing games of chance
The other joker is my only company
But I've learned a few things within this box
As my corners are not bent
It's not the time or the place that you're given
It's how that time is spent

I have been tempted by the four queens
Ah but then the laughter starts
'Cause they think I'm just a joker
But I am the real ace of hearts

So then I asked the joker
"How did you receive this fate?"
He said, "I don't know; I think it was the dealer
Who I'm trying so hard not to hate"

But then the joker asked me
"Why do you ask the questions you do?"
I just smiled and then I told him
"You see, I am a joker too."

I have been tempted by the four queens
Ah but then the laughter starts
'Cause they think I'm just a joker
But I am the real ace of hearts

Reflections

This is one of my oldest songs that I still perform. It's usually requested by people who have been friends for a very long time. It's a very simple song. - 4 chords, guitar, voice and harmonica. Simple songs are usually the most memorable. It was a song written when I was a simpler person, a more innocent person. That's what this song is about: innocence. The joker was not experienced in the world and had to stay in the box. But that time of inactivity helped to purify his heart.

There should be a sub-genre of American music that uses playing cards as a metaphor. There are so many places you can go with it: gambling, taking risks, numbers, royalty, playing a game, diamonds clubs, spades and, yes, hearts. I always think of Stephen Stills' tune, "Black Queen," but there are so many others. If you can think of some others please comment below.

The string harmonics that happen in this song were not planned - that's just the way my fingers happened to come off the strings at certain spots. The guitar that I played on this record was a black acoustic-electric Takamine that I bought in Boulder and that my friend, Scott Icenogle, borrowed and bought after his stuff got stolen in Nashville. It was probably a '92 dreadnought model with one of the best-sounding bridge pickups I have heard in a Takamine.