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.

But at gambling, he was lucky, and so he left Kentucky
And left behind his woman and his kids
Into the gay casinos in Nevada's town of Reno
Kentucky Gambler planned to get rich quick.

Kentucky Gambler who's going to love your woman in Kentucky?
Who's going to be the one to give her what she needs?
Kentucky gambler, who's going to raise your children in Kentucky?
Who's going to 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 green backed dollar, sorrow's always bound to follow
Reno dreams fade into neon amber
And Lady Luck, she'll lead you on, she'll stay a while, and then she's gone
You'd better go on home, Kentucky Gambler.

But a gambler never seems to stop till he loses all he's got
And so Kentucky Gambler, he played on
He played till I'd lost all he won, he was right back where he'd started from
Then he started wanting to go home.

Kentucky Gambler, there ain't nobody waiting in Kentucky
When you ran out, somebody else walked in
Kentucky Gambler, looks like you ain't really very lucky
Seems to me a gambler loses much more than he wins.

So you think about it
Kentucky Gambler