Riverboat Gambler

I am a riverboat gambler,
I've gambled all around,
Whenever I meets with a deck of cards
I lays my money down;
I lays my money down,
I lays my money down.

There's moonlight on the water,
There's a steamboat coming down,
Her windows all a-glowing
As we pass a quiet town;
We pass a quiet town,
We pass a quiet town.

There's drinking and there's laughter
As we steam along;
The piano man lights up his pipe,
Then plays another song;
Plays another song,
Plays another song.

That image now is shattered
Into a thousand shards;
While I'm left here to raise the bid,
And draw another card;
Draw another card,
Draw another card.

There was a Russian dancer,
Natasha was her name;
She fled the Winter Palace,
As it went up in flames;
As it went up in flames,
As it went up in flames.

She danced across the border,
Through Vienna to Paris,
And when the War was over,
She danced across the sea;
She danced across the sea,
She danced across the sea.

She landed in New York City;
'Long Broadway she did blaze,
And then just like a shooting star,
To the West she made her way;
To the West she made her way,
To the West she made her way.

I met her on this steamboat;
She danced my heart away,
And though she loved me dearly,
With me she would not stay;
With me she would not stay,
With me she would not stay.

She was a rich man's mistress;
Her fortune it was made;
I am a riverboat gambler,
Smoke and mirrors is my trade;
Smoke and mirrors is my trade,
Smoke and mirrors is my trade.

I think of all that might have been,
Though it's been awhile,
As I sit here with three aces,
And the shadow of a smile;
The shadow of a smile,
The shadow of a smile.

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Notes:

The header graphic titled "Women & Wine" is drawn by Alek Sass from THE WAYS OF MANY WATERS, by Edwin J. Brady, published by The Walter Scott Publishing, Co., London, UK, © 1909, p. 138.

The graphic to the left of the lyrics is Tamara Karsavina ballet dancing, circa 1910.

The graphic at the end is Prima Ballerina Anna Pavlova, circa 1917.

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River Gambler Fragment:

Like a steamboat on the river,
Running through the moonlight on the water,
The image is all shattered into a thousand shards;
So I sit here with three aces, and I raise the bid again,
And there's a shadow of a smile as I draw another card.

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