It occurred to me that, since I had stolen the
old Roving Gambler melody for my song
"Sing to Me of Cowboys", I couldn't leave
the old guy without something to sing...
I live by my gambling; I ramble all around;
I gamble in cities, and in one-horse towns;
I ride in at sunset, and I ride out at dawn;
If you'll deal me in, boys, I'll lay money down.
I won big in Deadwood; I lost in Silverton;
I gambled in Tombstone, all night until dawn;
A man said I cheated, and so I gunned him down;
I win some, I lose some; I've cheated no one.
When I was much younger, down in New Orleans town,
I met a fair lady, and tried settling down;
But aces and queens are my blo-od and my bones;
She woke up one morning, and she was alone.
I live by my gambling; I ramble all around;
I gamble in cities, and in one-horse towns;
I know I'll be gambling, and ridin' thru the west,
'til I pay a hand dealt by old grinnin' death.
Melody : Traditional, "Cruel War"
Lyric: Dean Elkins, Frayed Train Music, 2002.
