In keeping with a tradition of using the piano to comment on the news-- a Mark Russell PBS tradition that is-- I thought I would find a song that roughly corresponded to and celebrates the huge $650 million dollar lottery ticket being drawn by Mega Millions on Tuesday night. The only thing I could come with real quick was Kenny Rogers' The Gambler. It's not about a lottery-- but a poker game-- but either way, its gambling and the advice fits the lottery player too. Here he is...
Before you view my rendition, note that the paper flapping off my gold hat is OUR lottery ticket-- I bought it for Dorothy to cheer her up after a rough day promoting piano. It worked! Amazing! Once that worked, I thought I'd try doing this song for my first time. Piano students will note the easy chord structure I'm using-- an octave base on the 1 and 5 of the I, IV, and V chords with the odd II chord in there. Once you listen to it, observe my chart below the video, then play it again and sing along.
The Gambler
Before you view my rendition, note that the paper flapping off my gold hat is OUR lottery ticket-- I bought it for Dorothy to cheer her up after a rough day promoting piano. It worked! Amazing! Once that worked, I thought I'd try doing this song for my first time. Piano students will note the easy chord structure I'm using-- an octave base on the 1 and 5 of the I, IV, and V chords with the odd II chord in there. Once you listen to it, observe my chart below the video, then play it again and sing along.
The Gambler
G C G On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere, C G C D I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep. G C G So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness C G D G 'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak. G C G He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, C G C D and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes. G C G And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces. C G D G For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice." G C G So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow. C G C D Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light. G C G And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression. C G D G Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right. CHORUS: G C G You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, C G C D know when to walk away and know when to run. G C G You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table. C G D G There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done. D C G Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin' C G C D is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep. G C G 'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser, C G D G and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep." G C G And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window, C G C D crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep. G C G And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even. C G D G But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.--- chorus again.
