This song was played and played when it was released but I haven’t heard it a lot since. The song peaked at #2 in the Billboard 100, #14 in the Country Charts, and #8 in Canada in 1981. This song was written by Hank DeVito, who was the pedal steel guitarist for Emmylou Harris’ backing group, The Hot Band.
In 1981 I remember 3 songs that you would hear on the radio at any time after they were released. Bette Davis Eyes, The Tide Is High, and Queen of Hearts. You didn’t have to wait for it…turn on the radio and one of them would be there.
From Songfacts.
Juice Newton had the biggest success with “Queen of Hearts” after it appeared on her 1981 album, Juice. In September 1981, Newton’s version peaked at #2 on the US charts, having shifted over one million copies. In 1982, the song was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Female Country Vocal Performance. Dave Edmunds, who first recorded “Queen of Hearts” in 1979, told Creem Newton stole his composition: “She did pinch my arrangement, note for note, but I’m not angry with that.”
The Welsh musician Dave Edmunds was the first artist to record “Queen of Hearts.” The song appears on his 1979 album, Repeat When Necessary. The track peaked at #11 in the UK, but Edmunds’ label – Led Zeppelin’s Swan Song – refused to release it in the US. Edmunds, who reached #4 US with his 1970 cover of “I Hear You Knocking,” was hoping for another American hit and was not pleased when Swan Song held back both “Queen of Hearts” and “Girls Talk” (a song written by Elvis Costello that made #4 UK for Edmunds in 1979).
Queen of Hearts
Midnight, and I’m a-waiting on the twelve-oh-five
Hoping it’ll take me just a little farther down the line
Moonlight, you’re just a heartache in disguise
Won’t you keep my heart from breaking
If it’s only for a very short time
Playing with the queen of hearts
Knowing it ain’t really smart
The joker ain’t the only fool
Who’ll do anything for you
Laying out another lie
Thinking ’bout a life of crime
‘Cause that’s what I’ll have to do
To keep me away from you
Honey, you know it makes you mad
Why is everybody telling everybody what you have done
Baby, I know it makes you sad
But when they’re handing out the heartaches
You know you got to have you some
Playing with the queen of hearts
Knowing it ain’t really smart
The joker ain’t the only fool
Who’ll do anything for you
Laying out another lie,
Thinking ’bout a life of crime
‘Cause that’s what I’ll have to do
To keep me away from you
Lovers, I know you’ve had a few
But hide your heart beneath the covers
And tell ’em they’re the only one
And others, they know just what I’m going through
And it’s a-hard to be a lover
When you say you’re only in it for fun
Playing with the queen of hearts
Knowing it ain’t really smart
The joker ain’t the only fool
Who’ll do anything for you
Playing with the queen of hearts
Knowing it ain’t really smart
The joker ain’t the only fool
Who’ll do anything for you
Laying out another lie,
Thinking ’bout a life of crime
‘Cause that’s what I’ll have to do
To keep me away from you
Playing with the queen of hearts
Playing with the queen of hearts
Playing with the queen of hearts
Playing with the queen of hearts
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Juice Newton is the sister of Laraine Newman from the original cast of SNL.
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She I knew that but didn’t think about it.
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WHERE did you get that from? Laraine Newman’s sister is Tracy Newman, a writer & producer. She has a twin brother named Paul.
Judy Kay ‘Juice’ Newton was born in New Jersey in February 1952. Laraine was born in March 1952 in Los Angeles.
If they were sisters, Hellyweird & pop culture geeks would have been all over that.
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You know for a minute I thought I forgot it! Laraine was one of my favorite SNL cast members. She wasn’t a big star but she was a great character actress…underused in the 70s
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She & Gilda were huge stars in their genre.
The Juice Newton sister thing baffles me.
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When I first saw that I thought…oh they are?
Gilda was great. The first cast of SNL was great.
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The original cast was off the charts, tho I had to watch them in re-runs in later years. I was only 10 when they debuted.
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I bought the first five years…I saw them because I peaked when my older sister watched .
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😆😉
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Great song, and like you said, (perhaps) sadly one you rarely hear on radio now. good point about that is it still takes me back to that summer of ’81, which was quite fun. I would have guessed “Angel of the Morning” by her was a bigger hit, but both got lots of airplay back then and I liked both even though they were more “country” than most of what I listened to in that era
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This and the Tide is High takes me back to that year… I was debating on which song to do.
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Loved Juice Newton.
Ah. 1981. 9/10 grade…
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Yes me also. 1981 I started to listen to the radio more than I did before. Right after Lennon was shot I listened much more that year and it was a lot of good music.
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December 1980. I was 14 & really didn’t know who John Lennon was. No one in my immediate family listened to The Beatles. My dad liked Elvis, Ricky Nelson, The Everly Brothers, Gene Pitney, Johnny Cash… My mom liked The Motown Sound. Plus, there was a lot of localized Beach Music.
I heard the term ‘Beatles’ mentioned in reference to Paul McCartney and Wings. It was a classmate that told ‘Woman’
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Hit send too fast…
A classmate of mine told me that ‘Woman’ was from Lennon. His being a Beatle just wasn’t in my realm.
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My cousin got me into the Beatles in 75 when I was second grade…I’m glad… because my sister was into the Osmonds and David Cassidy so I’m glad he pulled me that way. My dad and mom were into country… My dad built guitars for George Jones and other stars at the time…he never understood my Beatle connection.
I like your dad’s taste.
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Wow. George Jones. Cool!
Oh, yeah, and Surf & Drag music. In fact, the 1st album I bought by myself was a compilation of Beach Boys, Jan & Dean, The Chantays, The Ventures, The Hondells, Trashmen, Surfaris… I did a lot of Shagging as a teen.
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I love Surf music…I went through a phase in High School with Jan and Dean, Ventures and Beach Boys.
Nothing wrong with that!
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