Luck of the draw (how to use it)

[elbatman]

Hello!

I am a songwriter, and I am working on a song called Luck Of The Draw. However I am a little uncertain on how to use it with verbs for it to be exactly right. By all means, this does not regard the meaning of it although I do have a question about situations where the term will fit in.

Here goes.

My line right now is "when I catch the ball - and get luck of the draw". Originally I had "...-and get the luck of the draw". Somehow this feels wrong. Am I correct in deleting the "the" to make it flow better? Can luck of the draw be something you get, something you either have or not - or is it simply a phenomenon in general that occurs to whomever?

Where I want to go with this is "everything will get better when I 1-catch the ball and 2- get luck of the draw in addition". You don't automatically win by just catching the ball (this being a metaphor for getting the chance to change something), you still need to either score (if it's in sports) or win by chance i.e. luck of the draw.

Does this make any sense?

Also, is it good english to use the term in such general matters as I do here? Or is "Luck of the draw" only used in terms of lottery, gambling and that sort of stuff? I'm using it in terms of having good or bad luck in love (ha ha, maybe I'm making this too complicated, it's becoming an advanced cliche!) and does that feel like good english in a songwriting kind of way?

The whole chorus goes like this (and please tell me heartbroken wings is clever, not stupid in a song. Honesty appreciated):

cause I’ll keep flying - with these heartbroken wings
at least I’m trying - to go down like a king
yeah I’ll kiss the queen of speeding bullets - to wild applause
when I catch the ball - and get luck of the draw

Really, it feels like I should use "and get the luck of the draw" or "and get some luck of the draw" or even "and get all luck of the draw", however right now I'm a little blinded, so they all look wrong to me.

Help much appreciated. I am new here, but I need advice all the time, looks like a great forum.

Thanks!

[Anglika]

"I'll have the luck of the draw" = be fortunate.

[mykwyner]

I have never heard, and can't think of a usage, where the phrase "luck of the draw" is used without the definite article the. Anything other than "the luck of the draw" will sound wrong to a native English speaker (at least one with my dialect and education).

[elbatman]

yeah, I feel the same thing, however I came across this headline in a newspaper

Hockey: England get luck of the draw - Telegraph

any comments?

[Anglika]

It's a headline. Grammar rules are on hold.

[pyoung]

Dear Elbatman:

Something to keep in mind: 'the luck of the draw' can refer to bad luck as well as good.
People use this phrase to say that some result (good or bad) was not a consequence of its being earned or deserved, but simply one of pure chance.

Best Wishes,

Petra

[elbatman]

thanks for all the replies so far!

what I want to say is this:

things are really bad right now, but I am going to keep trying and when it's my turn in life, and with a little luck - everything will be good.

would this make sense?

cause I'll keep flying - with these heartbroken wings
at least I'm trying - to go down like a king
yeah I'll kiss the queen of speeding bullets - to wild applause
when I catch the ball - with the luck of the draw

What does everybody think about this?

[Searching for language]

thanks for all the replies so far!

what I want to say is this:

things are really bad right now, but I am going to keep trying and when it's my turn in life, and with a little luck - everything will be good.

would this make sense?

cause I'll keep flying - with these heartbroken wings
at least I'm trying - to go down like a king
yeah I'll kiss the queen of speeding bullets - to wild applause
when I catch the ball - with the luck of the draw

What does everybody think about this?

I would also say I'll have the luck of the draw. However, as in headlines of a newspaper, in poetry which songwriting is, sometimes you take poetic license to make if flow.

Think of I think Bob Dylan's Lay, lady lay.............. technically it should be lie, lady lie, because he is singing about her lying by his side.

[BobK]

...

Think of I think Bob Dylan's Lay, lady lay.............. technically it should be lie, lady lie, because he is singing about her lying by his side.

Doh! And there was I thinking he was singing to a hen.

b

[Searching for language]

Doh! And there was I thinking he was singing to a hen.

b

Of course, if Bob Dylan's reputation of his early years is correct, he probably didn't know or remember the difference between lie and lay, or he was thinking about a hen!