My father was a gamblin' man
A loser all his life
He sacrificed his children
Made a wreckage of his wife
Many men would make a stand
Accuse him of a cheat
But he was more dishonest
And a master of deceit
He'd gather up the money
It was time for him to leave
Concealed were the aces
He had hidden up his sleeve
My daddy was a drinkin' man
The money served him well
Every night intoxicated
Always raising hell
He drank his pockets empty
Not a penny to his name
And come this time tomorrow
It'll be the same again
He'll drink away the evening
On the money that he wins
Thinking that the alcohol
Will drown away his sins
My father didn't go to church
He'd never sung a hymn
He often said that Jesus Christ
Had turned his back on him
And when he saw his shadow
That was crawling on the ground
He swore it was the devil
Who was always hanging round
And so he'd throw another dice
To fill an empty purse
The money spent, another bar
To make him feel worse
My daddy was a gamblin' man
A drinker all his life
He let his children suffer
Made a widow of his wife
And when he died, a funeral
Of course the devil came
To stand beside the headstone
Cast a shadow on his name
But that was many years ago
And this story's at an end
So I'll play another poker hand
And drink to you my friend
Ian Duquemin
