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I'm a roving gambler, |
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And I gamble down in town. |
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Whenever I meet with a deck of cards, |
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I lay my money down, |
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Boys,I lay my money down |
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I've gambled up in Washington, |
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Gambled down in Maine, |
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I'm on my way to Georgia |
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To knock down my last game, |
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Boys, knock down my last game. |
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Well, I had not been in Washington, |
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Many more weeks than three, |
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When I fell in love with a pretty |
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Little girl, |
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And she fell in love with me. |
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And she fell in love with me. |
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She took me in her parlor, |
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She cooled me with her fan, |
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She whispered low in her mama's ear, |
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"I love this gamblin' man, |
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Ma, I love this gamblin' man." |
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"Well, daughter, my dear daughter, |
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How can you treat me so, |
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To leave your poor old mama, |
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And with this gambler go, |
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And with this gambler go?" |
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"Well, mama, my dear mama, |
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You know I love you well, |
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But the love I hold for a gamblin' |
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Man |
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No human tongue can tell, |
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Ma, no human tongue can tell. |
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"I'd never marry a farmer, |
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He's always in the rain. |
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I'd rather marry a gamblin' man |
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With a big gold watch and chain, |
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Ma, big gold watch and chain. |
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"And I'd never marry a railroad man, |
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The reason I'll tell you why, |
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Never did see a railroad man |
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Who wouldn't tell his wife a lie, |
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Ma, wouldn't tell his wife a lie. |
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"I hear the train a-comin', |
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Comin' around the curve, |
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Whistling and a-blowin' |
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And a-strainin' every nerve, |
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Ma, strainin' every nerve. |
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"It's good-bye, good-bye, mama, |
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Tell you if I can, |
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If you ever see me comin' home again, |
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It will be with a gamblin' man, |
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Ma, be with a gamblin' man." |