They left for San Francisco in 1959, where they met Mort Lewis, Dave Brubeck's manager. Lewis became their manager and later that year secured them a contract with Columbia Records. Their second single, "Greenfields," released in January 1960, hit #2 on the pop charts, and their first album, Brothers Four, released toward the end of the year, made the top 20. Other highlights of their early career included singing their fourth single, "The Green Leaves of Summer," from the John Wayne movie The Alamo, at the 1961 Academy Awards, and having their second album, BMOC/Best Music On/Off Campus, go top 10. They also recorded the theme song for the ABC television series Hootenanny, "Hootenanny Saturday Night," in 1963.
The British Invasion and the ascendance of such folk musicians as Bob Dylan put an end to the Brothers Four's early period of success, but they kept performing and making records, doing particularly well in Japan and on the American hotel circuit.
The band attempted a comeback by recording a highly commercial version of Dylan's "Mr. Tambourine Man." But the band was unable to release it because of licensing issues, and The Byrds eventually stole their thunder by releasing their heralded version.
Mike Kirkland left the group in 1969, and was replaced by Mark Pearson, another University of Washington alumnus. In 1971, Pearson left and was replaced by Bob Haworth, who stayed until 1989 and was replaced by a returning Pearson. Dick Foley left the group in 1990 and was replaced by Terry Lauber. Despite all the changes and having spent 47 years in the business, the group is still active today (2004).
I Am A Roving Gambler
The Brothers Four Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I've gamble all around
And wherever I see a deck of cards
I'll lay my money down
Lay my money down
I'll lay my money down.
I've gambled down in Washington
I'm headin' down to Tennessee
To knock down my last game
To knock down my last game
To knock down my last game.
I had not been in Washington
Many more weeks than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little gal
And she fell in love with me
Fell in love with me.
She fell in love with me.
She took me to her parlor
She cooled me with her fan
She whispered in her mother's ear
''I love that gambling man,
Love that gambling man
I love that gambling man.''
"I wouldn't marry a railroad man
This is the reason why
I never seen a railroad man
Wouldn't tell his wife a lie
Tell his wife a lie.
Wouldn't tell his wife a lie.''
''Oh mother, oh dear mother
I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me coming back
It'll be with a gamblin' man
Be with a gamblin' man.
It'll be with a gamblin' man.''
I am a roving gambler
I've gamble all around
And wherever I see a deck of cards
I'll lay my money down
Lay my money down.
I'll lay my money down.
And when I see a deck of cards
I'll lay my money down
I'll lay my money down.
Lay my money down...
The Brothers Four's song I Am A Roving Gambler is about a man who is a passionate gambler and has traveled everywhere to play his game of cards. The lines "I am a roving gambler, I've gambled all around" establish the same idea, and the chorus reflects his obsession with gambling, stating that wherever he sees a deck of cards, he will bet all his money on it. He has played in various places ranging from Washington to Maine, and in the end, he is heading to Tennessee to play his last game.
In the song's second and third verse, he mentions his encounter with a beautiful girl while he was in Washington. He eventually falls in love with her, and she reciprocates the feelings. However, her mother disapproves of their relationship, and the girl defends the man by asking her to love him despite his gambling habit. She realizes that she has fallen for him and would rather be with him and his obsession for playing cards than to be with a railroad man who would never tell his wife a lie. Therefore, the song's central theme is gambling and how it can consume someone's life entirely, even if they fall in love.
Line by Line Meaning
I am a roving gambler
I'm a wandering gambler.
I've gambled all around
I have played games everywhere.
And wherever I see a deck of cards
Whenever I spot a deck of cards anywhere,
I'll lay my money down
I'll bet my money on it,
Lay my money down
Bet the money without any hesitation.
I've gambled down in Washington
I've played games in Washington before,
Gambled up in Maine
I've also gambled in Maine,
I'm heading down to Tennessee
I'm going to Tennessee next,
To knock down my last game
To win my last game,
To knock down my last game
To win my last game,
I had not been in Washington
I hadn't spent more than three weeks in Washington,
Many more weeks than three
Just three weeks,
When I fell in love with a pretty little gal
When I fell in love with a beautiful woman,
And she fell in love with me
And she reciprocated my love.
She took me to her parlor
She invited me to her living room,
She cooled me with her fan
She cooled me down with her handheld fan,
She whispered in her mother's ear
She told her mother secretly,
''I love that gambling man,
''I adore that gambler,
Love that gambling man
I love that gambler.''
''I wouldn't marry a railroad man
''I wouldn't marry a railroad worker,
This is the reason why
I have a good enough reason for this decision,
I never seen a railroad man
I've never met a railroad worker,
Wouldn't tell his wife a lie
Who wouldn't lie to his wife.''
Tell his wife a lie.
Who wouldn't deceive his wife.''
''Oh mother, oh dear mother
''Oh mother, my dear mother,
I'll tell you if I can
I'll tell you if I'm able,
If you ever see me coming back
If you ever see me come back,
It'll be with a gamblin' man
It will be because I will be with a gambler,''
Be with a gamblin' man
I'll be with a gambler.''
I am a roving gambler
I'm a wandering gambler.
I've gambled all around
I have played games everywhere.
And wherever I see a deck of cards
Whenever I spot a deck of cards anywhere,
I'll lay my money down
I'll bet my money on it,
Lay my money down
Bet the money without any hesitation.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Carlyle Woodard
Bought this album from a friend in college,1962,still have it.Still like it.Love the Bros 4.
Nazare Maria Maria
Adoro
Michael MR
This is another favourite off of this album that I appropriated from my brother a long time ago.
Bob Bills
Jim Reeves Covered this in his Film ‘Kimberley Jim’, I had no idea it was a cover until today!
Yvonne Albrecht
That's my favorit - nr. 1
Jake Rutigliano
Didn’t these guys sing the songs for Chirin no Suzu?
Rungroch Srichamorn
**OK**