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