Elf, was a Blues-rock band founded in 1967 in Cortland, New York, United St… Read Full Bio ↴Elf, was a Blues-rock band founded in 1967 in Cortland, New York, United States by singer and bassist Ronnie James Dio (Ronnie Padavona), keyboardist Doug Thaler, drummer Gary Driscoll, and guitarists Nick Pantas and David 'Rock' Feinstein (Dio's cousin). The band was orignially called The Electric Elves, but was shortened to The Elves, and finally Elf in 1969.
In 1970 the band was involved in an automobile accident which claimed the life of Nick Pantas, whom the band decided not to replace. After recovering from his injuries, Doug Thaler quit the band, and was replaced by Micky Lee Soule. (Upon leaving in 1972, Thaler moved to New York and got a job as a booking agent — Elf was one of the bands he booked. In 1983, he became co-manager of Mötley Crüe. Present day he works at Metropolitan Talent as an artist manager, working with artists such as Art Garfunkel, Bruce Hornsby & Ratdog).
Cover of Elf's debut self-titled album was produced by Deep Purple members Roger Glover and Ian Paice, who happened to see Elf auditioning in 1972. For the next few years, the band enjoyed mild success as an opening act for Deep Purple.
Dio both sang and played the bass guitar until, in 1973, bass player Craig Gruber was asked to join. The same year saw Feinstein quit the band, to be replaced by Steve Edwards. Feinstein formed a band called The Rods, which met with a moderate amount of success, touring with groups such as Judas Priest and Iron Maiden, as well as Metallica, before finally retiring from the music industry. He would not return to the music scene until 2004, when his band, Feinstein, released the album Third Wish on the Magic Circle Music label.
In 1974, Dio was asked by Glover to sing on his solo album The Butterfly Ball and the Grasshopper's Feast. Dio's rich, soulful voice gained the attention of guitarist Ritchie Blackmore who had just left Deep Purple and was looking for musicians for his first solo album, Ritchie Blackmore's Rainbow. He decided to use Elf for this album, and the band Rainbow was thus formed, with Blackmore replacing Edwards. After they finished recording the album, however, Driscoll, Gruber, and Soule were replaced by Cozy Powell, Jimmy Bain and Tony Carey, who played with Dio and Blackmore during the subsequent tour. In early 1975 percussionist Mark Nauseef joined Elf, but the group disbanded shortly afterwards

for the Slime singer's project see ELF.

Gambler Gambler
Elf Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I gotta tell ya about the blues
I gotta tell ya just how I lose
Ain't got no money
But I'll straighten up my head at the Cosmo now

Gambler, gambler
Chicken in the first degree
Gambler, gambler

Chicken in the first degree
I never been a gambler
So please don't messin' me

Hey, jury, jury
I tell you story, true
Ah, listen, jury, jury
Tell you story true
The jury found me guilty
Don't know what to do

I was playing in Boston
Say, up in old St. Lou
Surrounded by the FBI
For something I didn't do
Now my baby left me
Left me all alone
Judge said, "Son, you ain't going home"

Gambler, gambler
Chicken in the first degree
Well, I've never been a gambler
So please don't messin' me
Oh, no, no, no

Oh, gambler, gambler
Chicken in the first degree
Gambler, gambler
Chicken in the first degree

Well, I've never been a gambler
So please don't messin' me

Overall Meaning

In this song, Elf talks about his experiences with gambling and the consequences that come with it. He starts by saying he has the blues and how he loses all his money as a gambler. Though he doesn't have a penny to his name, he implies that he will go to the Cosmo, a fancy casino, to try and win some money. In the chorus, he calls himself a "chicken in the first degree," a phrase that refers to someone who is afraid to take risks.

Elf goes on to address the jury in his trial, telling them the story of how he got into trouble with the FBI. He claims he didn't do anything, but they still found him guilty. Adding to his miseries is the fact that his lover has left him alone. He ends the song by repeating the chorus, asserting that he is not a gambler and warning people not to mess with him.

Line by Line Meaning

I gotta tell ya about the blues
I need to share my sad story with you

I gotta tell ya just how I lose
I need to tell you how I keep losing in life

Ain't got no money
I have no money to my name

But I'll straighten up my head at the Cosmo now
But I will try to get my head right by going to the Cosmopolitan

Gambler, gambler
Someone who takes big risks

Chicken in the first degree
Scared to take risks

I never been a gambler
I have never been one to take risks

So please don't messin' me
So please don't try to pressure me to do so

Hey, jury, jury
I need the jury to hear my story

I tell you story, true
I will tell you the truth of what happened

Ah, listen, jury, jury
Please, listen to what I have to say