My Evergreen Playlist: The Gambler.
My evergreen playlist track for today is the Gambler by American country music singer Kenny Rogers.
This song started playing out in my head some minutes ago after 'I ran out of aces'.
You see, life is a terrible place and surviving and winning is hinged on our ability to taking calculated risks. Running out of aces happens and it cannot be separated from life or the man living it. You just have to know when to hold, draw or fold.
The song which was released in 1978 won Kenny Rogers a Grammy and you just have to agree with that acknowledgement because he did send the message the song was written for. Country music is what we in this part of the world call High life music. The story telling kind of music.
The Gambler is a story about two men who met on a train to nowhere. One a gambler and the other an up and coming gambler.
The gambler tells the narrator that he can tell he is down on his luck ("out of aces") by the look in his eyes and offers him advice in exchange for his last swallow of whisky. After the gambler takes the drink (and a cigarette), he gives the following advice:
You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Know when to walk away, 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 dealin's done.- source.
Life is one big casino pit that sees us playing against the house and for as long as we win, we let down our guard and even start celebrating our loots on the table.
We must never forget that, we are all given a portion of time, space and limitation with which we will live our time here. When it isn't working and it feels like the aces are not turning up, we have to decide when the right time is to walk away or remain there grinding.
We all have those moments when we run out of aces and it will be a timely saving grace if we can identify those times and then learn to return to the drawing board to re-strategize.
Sing along to the lyrics.
On a warm summer's evening
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with a gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness
The 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 the 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 knowin' 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 toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
And faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
And 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
You've got to know when to hold 'em
(When to hold 'em)
Know when to fold 'em
(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
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- Source.
Never forget that in everyone man lies a winner and a loser, all that matters is the ability of that man to pick and choose the one he wants featured most.