The Gambler

We all have songs or a piece of music, that is special to us, and sometimes they don’t even match our personality –   some would say that mine is probably some piece of  Greek music like perhaps, Zorba’s dance , and they would be wrong.

Many years ago I heard a song, not in my genre of choice, but in a genre that was quite foreign to me –  Country and Western.  Why this song struck a chord with me I don’t know, but I listened to it again and again and again, the more I listened to it the more it resonated with me. 

That song is The Gambler sung by Kenny Rogers.

It is a song about life, about perseverance, and finally about acceptance.

It is a song about a traveller who meets a gambling man late one night whilst travelling by train. 

It’s a story about playing the game of life.

It’s a story about survival.

It’s a story about knowing your limitations and not being arrogant

 The Gambler tells the young man;

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

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done

He tells him in gambling terminology – know when to pick your fights and when to turn away, do not to be arrogant in victory but to savour our victories quietly and with dignity.

He also tells him “the secret to surviving is knowing what to throw away and what to keep”

In life we chase so much and so many things that we lose sight of what is really important and sometimes lose everything for the chase.  These are truly wise words.

We go through life striving for many things, some material, some spiritual and some just frivolous – all these, when we eventually leave this world will be left behind –  and in the Gamblers words ‘ every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep’.

We shouldn’t chase something because it looks good – winner or loser, who knows what it might  be –  rather, we should examine our hearts and chase what is meaningful.

Every day we wake up, follow routines and patterns, some of us go off to work, some of us stay at home and some of us go out to care for others, all in the hope of making some meaningful difference in someone else’s life and hopefully in the world.

The true lesson the gambler gives us is “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right”.

The game of life can be hard for many, however, if we all show some compassion and kindness to others, surely we can make a difference.

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, the day we died, someone said: “they made a difference!”

Wouldn’t that be just like dying peacefully in your sleep?

The Gambler – Kenny Rogers

On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a train bound for nowhere

I met up with the gambler, we were both too tired to sleep

So we took turns a starin’ out the window at the darkness

‘Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said, “Son, I’ve made a life, out of readin’ people’s faces

And knowin’ what their cards were by the way they held their eyes

So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces

For a taste of your whiskey I’ll give you some advice”

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow

Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light

And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression

Said, “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right”

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

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done

Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’

Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowing what to keep

‘Cause every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep

And when he finished speakin’, he turned back towards the window

Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep

And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even

But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep

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

There’ll be time enough for countin’ when the dealing’s done  repeat x 2