Draw of the Cards

"Draw of the Cards"
"Draw of the Cards"
Single by Kim Carnes
from the album Mistaken Identity
B-side	"Break the Rules Tonite (Out of School)"
Released	August 1981
Recorded	January 1981
Genre	Pop rock; new wave;
Length	4:53 (Album Version) ; 4:02 (Single Version)
Label	EMI America
Songwriter(s)	Kim Carnes; Bill Cuomo; Dave Ellingson; Val Garay;
Producer(s)	Val Garay
Kim Carnes singles chronology
Music video
	"Draw of the Cards" on YouTube

"Draw of the Cards" is a 1981 song, released as the second single by American singer and songwriter Kim Carnes for her sixth studio album, Mistaken Identity.

Background

Carnes said that the idea for the song came from when she went with her husband and co-writer Dave Ellingson and her producer Val Garay to visit her guitarist in the hospital. Carnes said that she said "something about his illness being all in the draw of the cards." Carnes continued that "We wrote some lines that went with that theme, the later Bill [Cuomo] brought his Prophet synthesizer over, played a line he had, and we pulled out the lyrics to finish the song."^[1]

Reception

The single reached #28 on the Billboard Hot 100 in September 1981, failing to match the chart success of its predecessor, "Bette Davis Eyes", which reached #1.^[2]^[3] Billboard called it an "adventurous track" in which Carnes' "cool, distant vocal delivery maintains its intriguing edge" and said that the song has a "dazzling arrangement."^[4] Record World said that "Serpentine keyboards lurk among grating guitars and Kim's raspy purrs" and felt this was a strong follow up to Carnes' previous single.^[5]

Tampa Bay Times contributor Kevin Wuench felt that the song has a "great '80s synth sound."^[6] Rolling Stone critic Dave Marsh called it a "standout".^[7] Music critic Colin Larkin described the song as having a "contagious, swirling organ-dominated sound."^[8] Viacom ranked "Draw of the Cards" as Carnes' 10th best song, stating that it was "just as intoxicating in its creepiness" as Carnes' previous single, "Bette Davis Eyes."^{[citation needed]}

Some critics had negative reactions to the song. Boston Globe critic Bill Flanagan called it a "silly attempt at pulsating rhythmic sensuality...that sounds desperately self-conscious."^[9] Leader-Post critic Bruce Johnstone called it "a blustery and bombastic piece of pseudo-rock" and said that "despite its catchy beat and some nice saxophone and guitar filler, nothing can disguise the song's inherent emptiness."^[10] Chicago Tribune critic Blair R. Fischer called it "inimitably forgettable."^[11]

Music video

The music video was directed by Russell Mulcahy, who had also directed the video for "Bette Davis Eyes." According to Wuench, the video "has some weird carnival activities and one long tongue by some creature of the underworld."^[6]

Format and track listings

7" Single

A "Draw of the Cards" (3:58)
B "Break the Rules Tonite (Out of School)" (3:15)

12" Single

A "Draw of the Cards" (Special Long Version) (6:53)
B "Break the Rules Tonite (Out of School)" (3:15)

Trivia

The US 12" promo of "Draw of the Cards" was billed as "The long and short version" and credited to Kim Carnes and the Hate Boys. The track listing of the retail release (above) differed.

Charts

Chart (1981)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)^[12]	64
Austria (Ö3 Austria Top 40)^[13]	16
Canada Top Singles (RPM)^[14]	42
Ireland (IRMA)^[15]	30
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)^[16]	12
Switzerland (Schweizer Hitparade)^[17]	13
UK Singles (OCC)^[18]	49
US Billboard Hot 100^[19]	28
US Cash Box Top 100^[20]	25
West Germany (GfK)^[21]	35
Quebec (ADISQ)^[22]	17

References

^ Kelp, Larry (June 21, 1981). "Kim Carnes' hit renews her career". Journal and Courier. p. D8. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.
^ "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
^ "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1981-09-26. Retrieved 2016-10-17.
^ "Top Single Picks". Billboard. August 8, 1981. p. 67. Retrieved 2023-01-21.
^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 8, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-01.
^ ^a ^b Wuench, Kevin (September 13, 2013). "Do you remember the Kim Carnes hit that came after Bette Davis Eyes?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-07-09.
^ Marsh, Dave (May 28, 1981). "Kim Carnes' album is 'smoothly soulful'". The Daily Item. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.
^ Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin. p. 96. ISBN 9780753501597.
^ Flanagan, Bill (May 14, 1981). "Will the real Kim Carnes stand up?". Boston Globe. p. 82. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.
^ Johnstone, Bruce (October 2, 1981). "Double-barrelled show would have been cheap at twice the price". Leader-Post. p. D10. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.
^ Fischer, Blair R. (December 24, 2000). "The worst of the best of". Chicago Tribune. p. 7-13. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.
^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 256. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
^ "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0388." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Draw of the Cards". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Kim Carnes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Kim Carnes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 3, 1981". Cash Box. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 15, 2020.
^ "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. 1981-09-19. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2025.

[1] Kelp, Larry (June 21, 1981). "Kim Carnes' hit renews her career". Journal and Courier. p. D8. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.

[2] "Billboard Hot 100". Billboard. Retrieved 2023-03-01.

[3] "Music: Top 100 Songs | Billboard Hot 100 Chart". Billboard.com. 1981-09-26. Retrieved 2016-10-17.

[4] "Top Single Picks". Billboard. August 8, 1981. p. 67. Retrieved 2023-01-21.

[rw-5] "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. August 8, 1981. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-01.

[tampa-6] Wuench, Kevin (September 13, 2013). "Do you remember the Kim Carnes hit that came after Bette Davis Eyes?". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2020-07-09.

[7] Marsh, Dave (May 28, 1981). "Kim Carnes' album is 'smoothly soulful'". The Daily Item. p. 25. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.

[8] Larkin, Colin (1997). The Virgin Encyclopedia of Eighties Music. Virgin. p. 96. ISBN 9780753501597.

[9] Flanagan, Bill (May 14, 1981). "Will the real Kim Carnes stand up?". Boston Globe. p. 82. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.

[10] Johnstone, Bruce (October 2, 1981). "Double-barrelled show would have been cheap at twice the price". Leader-Post. p. D10. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.

[11] Fischer, Blair R. (December 24, 2000). "The worst of the best of". Chicago Tribune. p. 7-13. Retrieved 2023-03-02 – via newspapers.com.

[12] Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, NSW: Australian Chart Book. p. 256. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.

[sc_Austria_Kim_Carnes-13] "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards" (in German). Ö3 Austria Top 40. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_Canadatopsingles_-14] "Top RPM Singles: Issue 0388." RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_Ireland2_-15] "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Draw of the Cards". Irish Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_New_Zealand_Kim_Carnes-16] "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_Switzerland_Kim_Carnes-17] "Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards". Swiss Singles Chart. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_UKsinglesbyname_Kim_Carnes-18] "Kim Carnes: Artist Chart History". Official Charts Company. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_Billboardhot100_Kim_Carnes-19] "Kim Carnes Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[20] "Cash Box Top 100 Singles – Week ending October 3, 1981". Cash Box. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[sc_West_Germany_Kim_Carnes-21] "Offiziellecharts.de – Kim Carnes – Draw of the Cards" (in German). GfK Entertainment charts. Retrieved September 15, 2020.

[22] "Palmarès de la chanson anglophone et allophone au Québec" (PDF) (in French). BAnQ. 1981-09-19. Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2015. Retrieved September 8, 2025.

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

[10]

[11]

[12]

[13]

[14]

[15]

[16]

[17]

[18]

[19]

[20]

[21]

[22]

v t e Kim Carnes
Studio albums	Rest on Me Kim Carnes Sailin' St. Vincent's Court Romance Dance Mistaken Identity Voyeur Café Racers Barking at Airplanes Light House View from the House Checkin' Out the Ghosts Chasin' Wild Trains
Live albums	Live at Savoy, 1981
Compilations	Gypsy Honeymoon: The Best of Kim Carnes
Singles	"You're a Part of Me" "More Love" "Cry Like a Baby" "Bette Davis Eyes" "Draw of the Cards" "Voyeur" "Does It Make You Remember" "Invisible Hands" "You Make My Heart Beat Faster (And That's All That Matters)" "Invitation to Dance" "Crazy in the Night (Barking at Airplanes) "Crazy in Love" "Speed of the Sound of Loneliness" "Gypsy Honeymoon"
Collaborative singles	"Don't Fall in Love with a Dreamer" "Make No Mistake, He's Mine" "What About Me?"
Related articles	Discography

Draw of the Cards

Hub talks

Draw of the Cards

Draw of the Cards

Hub rules

Draw of the Cards

Hub overview

Add your contribution

Inside this hub

Media Collections

Timelines

Articles

Notes collections

Notes

Days in Chronicle

Root Wikipedia Article

Draw of the Cards

Background

Reception

Music video

Format and track listings

Trivia

Charts

References

Add your contribution

Related Hubs