Queen of Diamonds, Queen of Hearts

For many years The Eagles’ song ‘Desperado’ has been one of my favourites. It’s about an aging cowboy who’s struggling… He’s currently choosing independence and freedom over connection and love. The singer tries to persuade the cowboy to change…

My friend Jack reminded me of the lines:

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

The cowboy may search for the rich, glamorous, beautiful woman; finding a loving woman is better.

Yesterday we learnt of the death of Katharine, Duchess of Kent. Rich, always immaculately presented, she appeared a ‘Queen of Diamonds’. There were many tributes to her, saying she was much more… Nicholas Robinson OBE, a friend of the Duchess said:

‘She was once described as Katharine, the compassionate duchess. And that word, compassionate…it just sums her up. She was such a kind, genuine and understanding person. It was all about other people. Genuinely selfless…’

To many she was a Queen of Hearts.

Yesterday at our Singing for Wellbeing group I was reminded of the Curtis Mayfield song:

People get ready there’s a train a comin’
You don’t need no baggage you just get on board
All you need is faith to hear the diesels hummin’
You don’t need no ticket you just thank the Lord.

It’s in the long tradition of Black American songs that use train imagery to describe a journey from slavery to a destination where there’s freedom, justice and peace. The train’s coming, but you must take action – get on board!

I returned to Desperado that ends with a similar choice:

Desperado, why don’t you come to your senses?
Come down from your fences, open the gate
It may be rainin’, but there’s a rainbow above you
You better let somebody love you
Before it’s too late.

Drawing the Queen of Hearts is a choice. Love, like freedom, comes when I come down from the fence… get on board… choose to take action.