You’ve Got to Know When to Hold ‘Em

Note: This entry was written several months ago and was originally scheduled for publication in June 2020, but in light of Kenny Rogers’ recent passing, it seemed appropriate to move the date forward, as a memorial tribute to a major talent.

“On a warm summer’s evenin’
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the 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” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz) © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Throughout history, a frequent theme in storytelling has been the voyage, the journey, the road trip. In fact, this familiar literary device forms the basis for what is considered the second oldest work of Western literature – The Odyssey. Written by Homer, the Odyssey is essentially a sequel to the author’s previous work, the Illiad (the oldest work in Western literature), and details the protagonist’s ten-year voyage home following the Trojan War. In the English language as well as many other tongues, the word odyssey has come to refer to an epic voyage.

Dramatists refer to “the journey” as a plot archetype, with some experts arguing that the “hero’s journey” is the mother of all archetypes and that all other plot structures are just variations on that theme.

Regardless, the journey as a plot structure is one that appears frequently through the ages in stories such as the Divine Comedy, The Canterbury Tales, Gulliver’s Travels, The Wizard of Oz, Easy Rider, Thelma & Louise, and O Brother, Where Art Thou?, which is a contemporary retelling of Homer’s Odyssey. The journey is also the device that songwriter Don Schlitz uses as the basis for his hit song, “The Gambler.”

“He said, “Son, I’ve made a life
Out of readin’ people’s faces
Knowin’ what the cards were
By the way they held their eyes

So if you don’t mind me sayin’
I can see you’re out of aces
For a taste of your whiskey
I’ll give you some advice” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz)

In ancient Greek culture, the word xenia was used to describe the virtue of showing generosity or courtesy to strangers of any condition and creating a genial relationship between host and guest. Some scholars suggest that there may be a certain religious underpinning to this code of conduct, but wariness or caution may also be the root, as ancient Greeks believed that any stranger might be a god in disguise checking up on mortals.

In “The Gambler”, the narrator meets up with the title character during a “train ride to nowhere”, and while there is no telling how long the two may have journeyed together, it does imply that a certain friendship or fellowship was experienced along the way.

“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 faced lost all expression
He said, ‘If you’re gonna play the game, boy
You gotta learn to play it right’” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz)

Another character archetype that is commonly found throughout literature is that of the “mentor”. The mentor is typically older, wiser, and vastly more experienced than the unfledged protagonist. Possessing parental qualities, they impart their wisdom to their young ward in the form of sage advice. Don Schlitz illustrates this theme as the song proceeds to the chorus, and the Gambler proclaims to his needful traveling companion:

“You’ve 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 dealin’s done” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz)

Don Schlitz wrote “The Gambler” in August 1976 when he was 23 years old. He spent two years shopping it around Nashville before Bobby Bare recorded it and included it as a track on his album, Bare. The recording was not successful, and the song was never released as a single. Don Schlitz then decided to record the song himself, but his version never made it any higher than #65 on the charts. In 1978, Johnny Cash recorded “The Gambler” and placed it on his album Gone Girl, but it was Kenny Rogers that found the greatest mainstream success with Schlitz’s song.

Released in November of 1978 as the title track to Rogers’ album The Gambler, the recording went to #1 on the Country chart, as well #16 on the Pop chart, and #3 on the Easy Listening chart; this at a time when Country songs rarely crossed over. “The Gambler” is one of five consecutive #1 hits for Rogers on the Billboard Country Music chart.

“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” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz)

In 1979, Don Schlitz was awarded the Grammy for Best Country Song, while Rogers won the Grammy for Best Male Country Vocal Performance. Rogers’ album The Gambler, was also awarded CMA Album of the Year. To date, the album is reported to have sold more than 35 million copies, which accounts for about a quarter of Rogers’ total album sales.

Rolling Stone magazine calls “The Gambler”, “the one song even non-country fans know by heart.”

The Gambler made Kenny Rogers an international star. He later commented that, “When I go to Korea or Hong Kong people say ‘Ah, the gambler!'” And although the album and its title track had both done well in Britain upon their initial release and subsequent re-releases, it wasn’t until 2007, when the song was adopted by the England Rugby Team at the Rugby World Cup, that “The Gambler” would finally break into the Top 40, peaking at #22 on the British charts.

In 1984, the now-defunct USFL team, Houston Gamblers, was named after the song as a tribute to Kenny Rogers, who was born and raised in Houston, Texas.

The song would also lead to a series of television movies starring Kenny Rogers as Brady Hawkes, a fictional old-west gambler.

“That was a career-building song,” says Rogers. “Don Schlitz wrote it, and what’s funny is that he’s never been a gambler. In fact, the song’s not about gambling; it’s a metaphor for life and picking yourself up. He just happened to hear that line when he was walking down the street one day and it stuck with him. It was brilliant.”

In 2006, while appearing in a documentary of Kenny Rogers’ career, Don Schlitz praised both Rogers’ and Larry Butler’s (producer) contributions to the song stating, “they added several ideas that were not mine, including the new guitar intro”.

“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
But in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz)

Although the gambler’s passing is not explicit within the final verse of the song, it can certainly be inferred from the lyrics. However, the event was made clear when Kenny Rogers appeared on an episode of The Muppet Show in 1979. Seated on a train with three other Muppet characters, Rogers sings the part of the narrator, as one of the Muppets portrays the Gambler. As Rogers sings the last verse, the Gambler’s “spirit” is observed to rise from his body, as he sings along with Rogers on the final choruses.

In 2018, “The Gambler” was selected for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the Library of Congress as being “culturally, historically, or artistically significant.”

“You’ve got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run” – The Gambler (Don Schlitz) © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_movie

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odyssey

https://www.theclassroom.com › hospitality-ancient-greek-culture-23751 

https://www.texasgateway.org/resource/archetypes-motifs-and-plot-drama-english-ii-reading

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Gambler_(song)

All photos sourced through internet searches, none belong to the author.