I'm a roving gambler

And I gamble down in town

Whenever I meet with a deck of cards

I lay my money down

Boys I lay my money down

I've gambled up in Washington

Gambled down in Maine

I'm on my way to Georgia

To knock down my last game

Boys knock down my last game

Well I had not been in Washington

Many more weeks than three

When I fell in love with a pretty

Little girl

And she fell in love with me

And she fell in love with me

She took me in her parlor

She cooled me with her fan

She whispered low in her mama's ear

I love this gamblin man

Ma I love this gamblin man

Well daughter my dear daughter

How can you treat me so

To leave your poor old mama

And with this gambler go

And with this gambler go

Well mama my dear mama

You know I love you well

But the love I hold for a gamblin

Man

No human tongue can tell

Ma no human tongue can tell

I'd never marry a farmer

He's always in the rain

I'd rather marry a gamblin' man

With a big gold watch and chain

Ma big gold watch and chain

And I'd never marry a railroad man

The reason I'll tell you why

Never did see a railroad man

Who wouldn't tell his wife a lie

Ma wouldn't tell his wife a lie

I hear the train a-comin

Comin around the curve

Whistling and a-blowin

And a-strainin every nerve

Ma strainin every nerve

It's good-bye good-bye mama

Tell you if I can

If you ever see me comin home again

It will be with a gamblin man

Ma be with a gamblin' man