He wanted more from like Than four kids and a wife And a job in the dark Kentucky mines A twenty-acre farm With a shacky house and barn That's all he had And all he left behind At gambling he was lucky So he left Kentucky Left behind his woman and his kids Into the gay casino In Nevada's town of Reno Kentucky gambler planned to get rich quick Kentucky gambler, who's gonna love your woman in Kentucky Who's gonna be the one to give her what she needs Kentucky gambler, who's gonna raise your children in Kentucky Who's gonna keep them fed and keep shoes on their feet At the gamblers' paradise Lady luck was on his side Kentucky gambler played his cards just right He won at everything he played Kentucky gambler had it made And he should have quit and gone on home that night But when you love the greenback dollar Sorrow's always bound to follow Reno dreams fade into neon amber And lady luck, she'll leave you on She'll saty awhile, and then she's gone You'd better go on home Kentucky gambler But a gambler never seems to stop Til he loses all he's got And so, Kentucky gambler, he played on He played til he lost all he won He was right back where he started from Then he started wanting to go home Kentucky gambler, there ain't nobody waiting in Kentucky When you walked out, somebody else walked in Kentucky gambler, looks like you ain't really very lucky Seems to me a gambler looses much more than he wins So you think about it Kentucky gambler