Gambler
Punch And Judy Show Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

I am the rovin' gambler, I've gambled all around
Whenever I meet with the deck of cards,
I lay my money down
I lay my money down, I lay my money down

I had not been in Frisco many more weeks than three
Yeah I met up with a pretty little girl,
She fell in love with me
Fell in love with me, fell in love with me

She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
Whispered low in her mother's ear "I love the gamblin' man"
Love the gamblin' man, love the gablin' man

Daughter oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so
Leave your dear old mother and with the gambler go
With the gambler go, with the gambler go

I left her in Frisco and I wound up in Maine
I met up with a poker player and got in a poker game
Got in a poker game, got in a poker game

He put his money in the pot and dealt the cards around
I saw him deal from the bottom of the deck, shot the gambler down
Shot the gambler down, shot the gambler down

Now I'm down in prison, got a number for my name
The warden slammed the door and said "You've gambled your last game"




Gambled your last game, gambled your last game
Gambled your last game, gambled your last game

Overall Meaning

The song "Gambler" by Punch And Judy Show is a ballad that tells the story of a gambler who meets a girl in Frisco, falls in love with her, but eventually leaves her to travel to Maine in pursuit of his gambling addiction. He meets a poker player there, who cheats by dealing from the bottom of the deck, causing the gambler to lose and leading to a showdown where the gambler is shot and killed. The gambler ends up in prison, with nothing but regret for his gambling habit and the damage it has caused.


The song is a representation of addiction, and how it can be dangerous and all-consuming. The gambler in the song is a man who enjoys gambling so much that he leaves behind everything, including the girl who loves him and his own safety. He is eventually killed because of his addiction, and the song serves as a warning to people who might be tempted to fall into the same patterns of behavior. The lyrics are poetic, with repetition of lines and rhyming words that give the song a rhythm and a sense of urgency.


Line by Line Meaning

I am the rovin' gambler, I've gambled all around
I am a wandering gambler who has played in many places


Whenever I meet with the deck of cards, I lay my money down
Whenever I have the opportunity to play cards, I always bet my money


I had not been in Frisco many more weeks than three, Yeah I met up with a pretty little girl, She fell in love with me
I had just arrived in Frisco and then met a beautiful girl who fell in love with me


She took me to her parlor, she cooled me with her fan, Whispered low in her mother's ear I love the gamblin' man
She invited me to her house and flirted with me while telling her mother she loves a gambler


Daughter oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so, Leave your dear old mother and with the gambler go
Her mother was disappointed that her daughter chose to leave her to be with a gambler


I left her in Frisco and I wound up in Maine, I met up with a poker player and got in a poker game
I left the girl in Frisco and ended up in Maine where I started playing poker with another player


He put his money in the pot and dealt the cards around, I saw him deal from the bottom of the deck, shot the gambler down
The other player cheated by dealing cards from the bottom of the deck, resulting in me losing the game and all of my money


Now I'm down in prison, got a number for my name, The warden slammed the door and said You've gambled your last game
As a result of my gambling, I am now in prison and the warden informed me that I will never gamble again




Lyrics © ANTHEM ENTERTAINMENT LP, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Dierks Bentley, Jon Randall, TRAD TRAD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions