Merle Haggard

Kentucky Gambler

Merle Haggard


Tom: Ab

Capo on fret #1 
 
Intro:  G C D G C G D G 
 
G                              C 
I wanted more from life, than four kids and a wife 
       G       D             G 
And a job in a dark Kentucky mine. 
                         C 
A twenty acre farm, with a shackey house and barn 
      G              D          G 
Thats all I had and all I left behind 
 
 
G                                  C 
But at gambling, I was lucky, and so I left Kentucky 
G                  D            G 
And left behind my woman and my kids 
G                          C 
Into the gay casinos, of Nevada's town of Reno 
G                     D                    G           
This Kentucky Gambler planned to get rich quick  
 
                                                       
G                  C              D                  G                           
Kentucky gambler who's gonna love your woman in Kentucky 
C            G                D            G 
Yeah and who's going to be the one to give her all she needs. 
G            C               D                    G 
Kentucky gambler, who's going to raise your children in  Kentucky 
C                G             D                    G 
And who's going to keep them fed and keep them shoes on their feet 
 
 
G                                 C 
There at the gambler's Paradise, Lady luck was on my side 
G                          D          G 
and this Kentucky gambler played just right 
G                                     C 
Yeah I won at everything I  played - I really thought I had  it made 
G                  D                          G 
But I should have quit and gone on home that night 
 
 
G                                            C 
But when you love the green backed dollar, sorrow always bound tofollow 
   G                    D                    G            
and Reno's dreams fade into neon amber 
G 
And Lady Luck, she'll lead you on 
       C 
She'll stay a while, and then she's gone 
G                D               G 
You better go on home, Kentucky gambler 
 
 
G                                           C 
But a gambler never seems to stop, till he loses all he's got 
 G                 D                      G            
and with a money - hungry fever, I played on 
G                                    C 
I played till I'd lost all I'd won, I was right back where I'd started from. 
 G            D               G           
Then I started wanting - to go home 
 
 
G         C                   D                   G  
Kentucky gambler, there ain't nobody, waiting in Kentucky 
C         G          D                G 
When I ran out, somebody else walked in 
G               C                  D                   G   
Kentucky gambler, looks like you ain't really very lucky 
C              G                 D                 G     
And it seems to me a gambler loses much more than he wins 
     D             G 
much more than he wins.