Mother, oh dear mother,
I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me comin' back,
it'll be with a gamblin' man
I'm a proven gambler,
I've gambled all around
Whenever I meet with a deck of cards,
I lay my money down
I've gambled down in Washington,
gambled over in Spain
I'm on my way to New Orleans
to knock down my last game
Well, I had not been in Washington
many more weeks than three
Till I fell in love with a pretty little girl,
she fell in love with me
She took me to her parlor,
cooled me with her fan
Whispered low in her mama's ear,
I love that gambling man
Daughter, oh dear daughter,
how could you take me so
To leave your dear old mother
and with the gambler go
Mother, oh dear mother,
you know I love you well
But the love I hold for the gamblin' man
no human tongue can tell
Well, I wouldn't marry a farmer,
he's always in the rain
The man I want is a gambler man
with a great big gold watch chain
And I wouldn't marry a railroad man,
and I'll tell you the reason why
I've never seen a railroad man
that wouldn't tell his wife a lie
Hear that train a -comin',
she's comin' round the curve
A -whistlin' and a -blowin', ooooh,
straight at every nerve
Mother, oh dear mother,
I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me comin' back,
it'll be with a gamblin' man
It'll be with a gamblin' man you