His studio albums have become increasingly experimental. While they often feature full arrangements including horns, piano, bass, drums, and back-up singers, he has translated these arrangements on stage to just himself and his guitar without slowing the tempo or sacrificing components of the song. Like the folk-country and Delta blues singers that influence him, he uses his feet, the palm of his left hand, and his voice, to simulate drums and bass behind his vocals and guitar chords. Often Sexton will accentuate his songs by running his vocals through a guitar processor (similar to Peter Frampton), as well as a jazz trumpet-like singing style.
Casino Foundation
Martin Sexton Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh no this ain't no vacation
This is your chance to pay
The great casino foundation.
Jasmine had a little time on her hands
Time enough to vent some frustration
A single mother and with all the demands
That's how it started.
Midnight it's out the back door into her Jeep
Over the mountains to Reno
Meanwhile her eight year old is still fast asleep
It's video poker and Keno
There she'll tell me some lies
There she'll make some more promises
A gamblers glaze in her eyes
Time to break some more promises
Goodbye.
Jasmine and company at table 13
A great big man who hauls lumber
Fixed income granny and a chain smoking queen
All waiting for the same number
Where the sun never shines
And there are no more clocks on the wall
The only way to tell time
Is when the men come and say it's time
Goodbye
Jasmine's conscience is hot on her trail
Or was it a big sugar daddy
It's sink the Jeep and put the house up for sale
Or it's Las Vegas Nevad-why
No this ain't no vacation.
The song "Casino Foundation" by Martin Sexton tells the story of a single mother named Jasmine who falls prey to the tempting allure of quick and easy money through gambling. The opening lines of the chorus make it clear that this is no fun and games, but rather a serious and costly venture as it takes its toll on Jasmine's life. Despite being a single mother with many responsibilities and demands on her time, Jasmine sees gambling as a way out of her financial struggles. She takes the risk to venture to Reno in her Jeep, leaving her eight-year-old child asleep at home. Jasmine's addiction leads her to video poker and Keno, and she begins to lie and make false promises to hide her habit.
Line by Line Meaning
This ain't no holiday
This is not a time to be relaxed and carefree.
Oh no this ain't no vacation
This is not a break from work or daily routine.
This is your chance to pay
This is an opportunity to give back to the casino in exchange for the chance at winning money.
The great casino foundation.
The collective fund of money that the casino uses for various expenses.
Jasmine had a little time on her hands
Jasmine had some spare time that she decided to spend gambling.
Time enough to vent some frustration
Jasmine had some issues she needed to deal with and gambling was a way to release those feelings.
A single mother and with all the demands
Jasmine is a woman raising a child alone and with a lot of responsibilities.
Easy money was the temptation
Jasmine is attracted to the idea of making quick money without much effort.
That's how it started.
Gambling began as a way for Jasmine to cope with stress, but quickly became addictive.
Midnight it's out the back door into her Jeep
Jasmine sneaks out of her house at midnight to go gamble.
Over the mountains to Reno
Jasmine travels to Reno, a city known for its many casinos.
Meanwhile her eight year old is still fast asleep
Jasmine leaves her child at home and unattended while she goes gambling.
It's video poker and Keno
Jasmine primarily plays video poker and Keno, popular casino games.
There she'll tell me some lies
Jasmine lies to herself and to others about the extent of her gambling addiction.
There she'll make some more promises
Jasmine makes empty promises to herself and others about quitting gambling or winning big.
A gamblers glaze in her eyes
Jasmine has a glazed look in her eyes that comes from obsessively playing casino games.
Time to break some more promises
Jasmine acknowledges that she has made promises to quit gambling before but continues to break those commitments.
Goodbye.
Jasmine has given up on trying to quit gambling and will continue down this destructive path.
Jasmine and company at table 13
Jasmine is gambling at table 13 with other people.
A great big man who hauls lumber
One of the people at the table is a large man who works in the lumber industry.
Fixed income granny and a chain smoking queen
Two other people at the table are an elderly woman living off a fixed income and a woman who chain-smokes cigarettes.
All waiting for the same number
All of the people at the table are waiting for a specific number to come up in the game they are playing.
Where the sun never shines
Casinos are designed with no windows, so players lose track of time and continue to gamble without realizing how long they've been there.
And there are no more clocks on the wall
Casinos do not have any clocks visible to players, further adding to the disconnect from reality players experience.
The only way to tell time
The only way for Jasmine to know how long she's been playing is when casino staff come to announce that it's time for the establishment to close.
Is when the men come and say it's time
Casino employees must remind players when the establishment is closing, as players have no way of keeping track of time for themselves.
Goodbye
Jasmine, along with the other players, must leave the casino when it closes for the night.
Jasmine's conscience is hot on her trail
Jasmine is aware of the destruction gambling has wrought on her life and is beginning to feel guilty about it.
Or was it a big sugar daddy
Jasmine begins to consider the possibility of finding a wealthy man to support her financially instead of trying to win money gambling.
It's sink the Jeep and put the house up for sale
Jasmine is considering desperate measures, including selling off her assets to fund her gambling habit.
Or it's Las Vegas Nevad-why
Jasmine realizes that her addiction to gambling may lead her to even more dangerous gambling establishments, like Las Vegas.
No this ain't no vacation.
Jasmine is not enjoying herself while gambling and is aware of the destruction it is causing in her life.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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