when the chips are down

Submitted by Freigeist on 2016-10-28

Meanings of "when the chips are down"

English

When times are tough, when the situation is dire or urgent. It comes from chip used to bet in a card game instead of money. When there are few chips left then they are said to be down. So if you are down on chips, you are in trouble financially in the card game.

Explained by Ww WwWw Ww on Sat, 29/10/2016 - 04:41
Explained by Ww WwWw Ww
German

Wenn alle Stricke reißen

Explained by FreigeistFreigeist on Fri, 28/10/2016 - 01:38
Explained by FreigeistFreigeist

"when the chips are ..." in lyrics

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love

I'll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying

Gabrielle Aplin - The Power of Love

I’ll protect you from the hooded claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down I’ll be around
With my undying death-defying love for you

Whitney Houston - I Believe in You and Me

I believe in you and me
I believe that we will be in love eternally
As far as I can see
You will always be, the one, for me

Jamiroquai - Blue skies

Nothing's gonna stop me now
I am skimming like a skipping stone on a silver lake
I'll take it when the chips are down
But to play the perfect happy clown

Oomph! - The Power of Love

I'll protect you from the hooded clows,
Keep the vampires from your door...
When the chips are down I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying

Big Time Rush - Halfway There

We're halfway there

When the chips are down
Back against the wall

Hadestown (Musical) - Hey, Little Songbird (2010)

They’ll take you down, they’ll pick you clean
If you stick around such a desperate scene
See, people get mean when the chips are down

Frankie Goes to Hollywood - The Power of Love (Extended Singlette Version)

I'll protect you from the Hooded Claw
Keep the vampires from your door
When the chips are down, I'll be around
With my undying, death-defying love for you

The Kooks - Around Town

Oh oh
Love me when the chips are down
Love me when the chips are down
Could you love me when the world is crashing all around?

Trailerpark - Trailer Park

Ey man, you don't get anything for free in here other than demo tapes by MOK 1
Your mom lives here too but she can't afford the rent
But when the chips are down, she gives head like Zinedine Zidane
Anti-social, uh, we fuck your girl

  • 1. MOK is a rapper who signed Sudden but their work wasn't very successful

Chrisette Michele - Love is You

You're the one I cling on to
Love - is you
When the chips are down
Love will stick around

Guy Sebastian - I'm Your Man

Love is a gamble
That you gotta take
Cause you never win if you never play
You're looking for someone

Hadestown (Musical) - When The Chips Are Down

What you gonna do when the chips are down
Now that the chips are down?
What you gonna do when the chips are down
Now that the chips are down?

Hadestown (Musical) - When the Chips Are Down (2010)

What you gonna do when the chips are down?
Now that the chips are down
What you gonna do when the chips are down?
Now that the chips are down

Hadestown (Musical) - Hey Little Songbird

And they'll take you down, they'll pick you clean
If you stick around such a desperate scene
See, people get mean when the chips are down

thuy - ​ride for me

Tell me would you ride, ride for me?
Ain't no picking sides, switching sides on me (Switchin' on me)
Oh whoa, when the chips are down (Down)
When the lights turn low (Low)

Kula Shaker - High Noon

Time to play my hand
And step up for you
'cause when the chips are down
Is what a man do

David Bowie - Move On

Somewhere, someone's calling me
When the chips are down
I stumble like a blind man

Al Green - Could I Be The One?

Let me be with you through all your hard times
I wanna be around when the chips are down
It'll be me and you, against the opposition

Hadestown (Musical) - Gone, I’m Gone (2010)

When the chips are down
Now that the chips are down
What you gonna do when the chips are down?
Now that the chips are down