The ToneWay® Project: helping people play music


Roving Gambler [core]

I am a roving gambler, I've gambled all around
Wherever I meet with a deck of cards, I lay my money down

Refrain:Lay my money down, lay my money down

I had not been in Washington many more weeks than three
When I fell in love with a pretty little girl and she fell in love with me,...

She took me in her parlor, she cooled me with her fan
She whispered low in her mothers ear, I love that gamblin' man,...

Now mother, oh dear mother, you know I love you well
But the love I have for the gambling man, no human tongue can tell,...

Now daughter, oh dear daughter, how can you treat me so
Leave your dear old mother and with a gambler go,...

Mother, oh dear mother, I'll tell you if I can
If you ever see me comin' back, it'll be with the gamblin' man,...

I left her in Washington, I wound up in Maine
I met up with a gamblin' man, we got in a poker game,...

He put his money in the pot, and dealt the cards around
Saw him deal from the bottom of the deck, so I shot the gambler down,...

Now I'm down in prison, got a number for my name
The warden said as he locked the door, you've gambled your last game,...

Available in these books:

Get Started Plus:
Core Songs Edition
100 songs and our acclaimed play-by-ear learning method.
Big Print Songs
Over 200 songs.
Both books feature large-print lyrics (20-point type) and include chords, historical info, jamming hints, and more.

...and on these CDs:

Five CDs, 100 songs. Recordings from the Abbott family and their friends.
Listen to sample tracks.

The MP3 collection has all 100 songs on one CD for a discount. See details.


A song from the Mountain Music for Everyone Song Collection from the ToneWay Project. Our website has lyrics to nearly 400 traditional songs common in bluegrass and old-time circles. Most songs also include a free MP3 recording that you can listen to. The ToneWay Project also offers songbooks, CDs, and resources for learning to play music by ear. http://ToneWay.com