Smoke
South (US) Lyrics
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With the ways of a gentleman I've been told
A kind of a fellow that wouldn't even harm a flea
But if me and a certain character met
That guy that invented the cigarette
I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree
That ain't that I don't smoke myself
I've smoked 'em all my life and I ain't dead yet
But nicotine slaves are all the same
At a pheasant party or a poker game
Everything's gotta stop when they have that cigarette
Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette
Puff puff puff
And if you smoke yourself to death
Tell St Peter at the Golden Gate
That you hate to make him wait
But you just gotta have another cigarette
Now at a game of chance the other night
Ol' Dame Forson wasn't doin' me right
Them kings and queens just kept on comin' round
Well I got a full and I bet it high
But my plug didn't work on a certain guy
He just kept a risin' and a layin' that money down
He's raise me and I'd raise him
I sweated blood I had to sink or swim
He finally called and he didn't raise the bet
I said "aces is full pal how about you?"
He said "I'll tell you in a minute or two
But I just gotta have another cigarette"
Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette
Puff puff puff
And if you smoke yourself to death
Tell St Peter at the Golden Gate
That you hate to make him wait
But you just gotta have another cigarette
The other night I had a date with
The cutest gal in the fifty states
A high bred uptown social little dame
She said she loved me and it seemed to me
That things were like they ought a be
So hand in hand we strolled down Lover's Lane
She was oh so far from a chunk of ice
And our smoochin' party was a goin' real nice
So help and I think I'd of been there yet
But I give her a hug and a little squeeze
And she said "Willie excuse me please
But I just gotta have another cigarette"
Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette
Puff puff puff
And if you smoke yourself to death
Tell St Peter at the Golden Gate
That you hate to make him wait
But you just gotta have another cigarette
Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette
Puff puff puff
And if you smoke yourself to death
Tell St Peter at the Golden Gate
That you hate to make him wait
But you just gotta have another cigarette
Just gotta have another cigarette
The song "Smoke" by South (US) is a classic country tune that tells the story of a man who despises the inventor of cigarettes yet cannot help but smoke his own. The first verse describes a gentle and kind-hearted man who, despite smoking all his life, believes that nicotine slaves are all the same. He relays that they interrupt everything, including parties and games, because they cannot resist the urge to smoke another cigarette. The chorus sings, "Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette, puff puff puff, and if you smoke yourself to death, tell St Peter at the Golden Gate that you hate to make him wait, but you've just gotta have another cigarette."
The second verse depicts a game of chance where the singer finds himself in a bind. He raises his bet high but ends up losing to a man who, even after being asked to reveal his cards, responds with, "I'll tell you in a minute or two, but I just gotta have another cigarette." The final verse portrays a romantic evening with a girl who said she loved him, but when he gave her a hug and a squeeze, she asked for a cigarette, ruining the moment. Overall, the song highlights the addictive nature of smoking and the hold it can have on people's lives.
Line by Line Meaning
Now I'm a fellow with a heart of gold
I am a kind and empathetic person.
With the ways of a gentleman I've been told
People say that I have good manners and behave politely.
A kind of a fellow that wouldn't even harm a flea
I wouldn't hurt anything, even insects.
But if me and a certain character met
If I were to meet a specific person,
That guy that invented the cigarette
The man responsible for creating cigarettes,
I'd murder that son of a gun in the first degree
I would be very angry and might use violent words to express my frustration with the cigarette inventor.
That ain't that I don't smoke myself
It's not that I don't smoke cigarettes myself.
And I don't reckon they'll injure your health
I don't think smoking will hurt your health.
I've smoked 'em all my life and I ain't dead yet
I have been smoking for a long time and have not died from it yet.
But nicotine slaves are all the same
People who are addicted to nicotine are all alike.
At a pheasant party or a poker game
Whether at a fancy gathering or a casual game of cards,
Everything's gotta stop when they have that cigarette
Everything comes to a halt when they need to smoke a cigarette.
Now at a game of chance the other night
The other night, while playing a game of luck,
Ol' Dame Forson wasn't doin' me right
I wasn't having good luck in the game.
Them kings and queens just kept on comin' round
Despite the odds, good cards continued to appear in the game.
Well I got a full and I bet it high
I had a high-ranking hand and placed a large bet.
But my plug didn't work on a certain guy
My strategy did not work on a particular opponent.
He just kept a risin' and a layin' that money down
He kept raising and putting more money into the pot.
He's raise me and I'd raise him
We kept raising each other's bets back and forth.
I sweated blood I had to sink or swim
I was trying my hardest to win or at least not lose too much.
He finally called and he didn't raise the bet
He decided to call my final bet without raising it again.
I said "aces is full pal how about you?"
I confidently revealed my superior hand and asked to see his.
He said "I'll tell you in a minute or two
He needed a moment to consider his options and think of his next move.
But I just gotta have another cigarette"
But first, he needed to smoke another cigarette.
The other night I had a date with
On another recent evening, I went out with
The cutest gal in the fifty states
A very attractive woman from my area.
A high bred uptown social little dame
She was a proper and affluent woman from the city.
She said she loved me and it seemed to me
She professed her love and I felt like she truly meant it.
That things were like they ought a be
Everything felt right and as it should have been.
So hand in hand we strolled down Lover's Lane
We walked together, romantically, down a well-known street in our town.
She was oh so far from a chunk of ice
She was warm and affectionate, not cold like a block of ice.
And our smoochin' party was a goin' real nice
We were kissing and it was going quite well.
So help and I think I'd of been there yet
I think we could have gone further in our physical intimacy.
But I give her a hug and a little squeeze
I hugged her and held her close for a moment.
And she said "Willie excuse me please
But then she asked me to step away for a moment.
But I just gotta have another cigarette"
She had to stop our romantic moment to smoke a cigarette.
Smoke smoke smoke that cigarette
A repeated refrain calling for the smoking of cigarettes.
Puff puff puff
A repeated refrain indicating the inhalation of cigarette smoke.
And if you smoke yourself to death
An acknowledgement that smoking can lead to death.
Tell St Peter at the Golden Gate
If one does die as a result of smoking, they should inform Saint Peter (the gatekeeper of Heaven) upon their arrival.
That you hate to make him wait
But they should apologize for making him wait, presumably for having died so young due to smoking.
But you just gotta have another cigarette
An insistence that one must smoke another cigarette, despite the risks and consequences.
Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: MERLE TRAVIS, TEX WILLIAMS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind