The meaning of Little Queen of Spades?

Question

Hi. I posted a several times but no one seems to be answering... I need to translate this song by Robert A. Johnson but I can't understand the real meaning of the lyrics. When I google the meaning of Little queen of spades, it gives me a se*ual result. Is that really what this song is about?

Answer 1

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The phrase as it has been used here has no specific "meaning" other than as an image for the listener. The song goes on to to say he wants a "gamblin' woman", and that "I am the king baby, and you is a queen", so there could be a playing card metaphor intended by the writer.

Nevertheless, it's clearly a blues song, and a very high proportion of blues music is either about sex or personal misfortune, so judging by the overall tone of the song, I'd say there is a very good chance indeed that the writer is using the term in a sexual manner to some degree.

Answer 2

It's a load of nonsense. Spades is one of a pack of playing cards and she is the Queen of spades. The rest is rambling.

Answer 3

I always hesitate to interpret poetry, and that is really what we are talking about here with song lyrics, but that song is filled with sexual innuendo even if that is not its surface meaning.  There is no open meaning to the term "little queen of spades" apart from its literal meaning, but it is pretty obvious that he is using that phrase to mean well beyond its literal meaning.  If you are translating, you ought to translate it literally.