Dolly Parton

Released: September 17, 1975

Songwriter: Dolly Parton

He wanted more from life
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 gambler's 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 lead you on
She'll stay 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 waitin' in Kentucky
When you ran out, somebody else walked in
Kentucky gambler, looks like you aren't really very luck
Seems to me a gambler loses much more than he wins
So you think about it, Kentucky gambler

Dolly Rebecca Parton (born January 19, 1946) is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, actress, author, and philanthropist, best known for her work in country music

Beginning her career as a child performer, Parton issued a few modestly successful singles from 1959 through the mid-1960s, showcasing her distinctive soprano voice. She came to greater prominence in 1967 as a featured performer on singer Porter Wagoner’s weekly television program; their first duet single, a cover of Tom Paxton’s “The Last Thing on My Mind”, was a top-ten hit on the country singles charts, and led to several successful albums before they ended their partnership in 1974. Moving towards mainstream pop music, Parton’s 1977 single “Here You Come Again” was a success on both the country and pop charts. A string of pop-country hits followed into the mid-1980s, the most successful being her 1981 hit 9 to 5" (from the film of the same name), and her 1983 duet with Kenny Rogers “Islands in the Stream”, both of which topped the U.S. pop and country singles charts. A pair of albums recorded with Linda Ronstadt and Emmylou Harris were among her later successes. In the late 1990s, Parton returned to classic country/bluegrass with a series of acclaimed recordings

more tracks from the album

The Bargain Store

From the album

The Bargain Store (1975)

Dolly Parton popular songs

Kentucky GamblerDolly Parton

Dolly Parton

The Bargain Store