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The Gambler (song)
The Gambler (song)
“The Gambler” Single by Kenny Rogers from the album The Gambler Released Format Genre Length Label Writer(s) Producer November 15, 1978 Vinyl Country 3:32 United Artists Don Schlitz Larry Butler
There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealin’s done. The gambler then mentions that the "secret to survivin’ is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep" and that "the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep". At this point, the gambler puts out the cigarette and goes to sleep. At the end of the song we are told that "somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even", and that the narrator finds "an ace that I could keep" in his final words. Some have interpreted this as the Gambler actually dying, confirmed by Rogers’ rendition on the Muppet Show (see below).
"The Gambler" is the title track to Kenny Rogers’ 1978 album The Gambler. The song was written by Don Schlitz (who had recorded it previously, and had charted at #65 on the country charts with it) and was one of five consecutive songs by Rogers to hit #1 on the Billboard country music charts at the time. On the pop chart, the song made #16 in early 1979. It is also the theme song used for Rogers’ long running movie and TV serial of the same name, in which he stars as a fictional professional poker player called Brady Hawkes. It was used in Episode 2 of BBC series Blackpool.
Analysis
The song is often characterized as a metaphor for life in that you need to know when to stand your ground (when to hold ’em) and when to retreat (when to fold ’em). The gambler has learned that the trick to life isn’t the cards you’ve been dealt, but how to play them (every hand being a "winner" or a "loser" depending on how they are played). The "ace" that Rogers refers to in the end is this advice.
Story
The song itself tells the story of a late-night meeting on a train "bound for nowhere" between Rogers (as narrator) and an unnamed old man who is the gambler. The gambler tells Rogers that he can tell Rogers is down on his luck ("out of aces") by the look in his eyes and offers him advice in exchange for the last swallow of whisky Rogers has. After the gambler takes the drink (and a cigarette), he gives the following advice: “ You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away, and know when to run. You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table. ”
Performances
When Rogers appeared on The Muppet Show (episode 410, available on volume 11 of The Best of The Muppet Show home video series), "The Gambler" was brought to life, with Rogers performing in a mock-up of a passenger train interior, alongside a semi-realistic Muppet of an elderly man in the role of the Gambler. In this performance, the Gambler Muppet sang the first chorus, depicting the Gambler dispensing his advice to Rogers. In the finale, the Gambler reappeared as a ghost to join Rogers for the final sing along. The song was also performed on the TV sitcom, Perfect Strangers. The song was performed on ¨Beach games¨[1] the twenty-second episode of the third season of the US version of The Office, and is the 50th episode aired of the show.
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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Preceded by "On My Knees" by Charlie Rich and Janie Fricke Billboard Hot Country Singles number one single December 16-December 30, 1978
The Gambler (song)
Succeeded by "Tulsa Time" by Don Williams
Toward the end of the episode the characters of the show start to sing the song on a bus ride. The singing was started by Kevin who also happens to have an extreme gambling addiction. This song was also covered by Corb Lund and the Hurtin’ Albertans. It does not appear on any of their albums but is played live from time to time. The song is also covered by Wyclef Jean, although with a revised chorus; the song features Kenny Rogers himself. Professional wrestler The Rock sang a rendition on Raw in November 2001 in response to Stone Cold Steve Austin’s rendition of "Delta Dawn", as did Trevor Murdoch in 2008 at the behest of his tag team partner Lance Cade, before he attacked him and broke up the group.[1] In the song "Mainfesto (Outro)" from album The Score, Fugees rapper Pras sings "you gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em" before beginning his verse.
In Popular Culture
The first two lines of the chorus are used in The Order of the Stick webcomic as timehonored advice, given to Haley Starshine from her father, and repeated during the attack on the Azure City.[2]
References
[1] "May 12, 2008". Raw Results. Online World of Wrestling. http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/ results/raw/_080512/. Retrieved on 2008-10-10. [2] "The Order of the Stick". The Order of the Stick number 467. Giant in the Playground Games. http://www.giantitp.com/comics/ oots0467.html. Retrieved on 2009-5-23.
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(song)" Categories: 1978 singles, Kenny Rogers songs, Billboard Hot Country Songs number-one singles, Songs written by Don Schlitz This page was last modified on 24 May 2009, at 04:29 (UTC). All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License. (See Copyrights for details.) Wikipedia® is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., a U.S. registered 501(c)(3) taxdeductible nonprofit charity. Privacy policy About Wikipedia Disclaimers
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