come around you roving gamblers and a story i will tell about the greatest gambler you all should know him well his name was will oconley and he gambled all his life he had twenty seven children yet he never had a wife and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows he gambled in the white house and in the railroad yards wherever there was people there was willie and his cards he had the reputation as the gamblingest man around wives would keep their husbands home when willie came to town and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows sailing down the mississippi to a town called new orleans theyre still talking about their card game on that jackson river queen ive come to win some money gambling willie says when the game finally ended up the whole damn boat was his and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows up in the rocky mountains in a town called cripple creek there was an all night poker game lasted about a week nine hundred miners had laid their money down when willie finally left the room he owned the whole damn town and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows but willie had a heart of gold and this i know is true he supported all his children and all their mothers too he wore no rings or fancy things like other gamblers wore he spread his money far and wide to help the sick and the poor and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows  when you played your cards with willie you never really knew whether he was bluffing or whether he was true he won a fortune from a man who folded in his chair the man he left a diamond flush willie didnt even have a pair and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows it was late one evening during a poker game a man lost all his money he said willie was to blame he shot poor willie through the head which was a tragic fate when willies cards fell on the floor they were aces backed with eights and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows so all you roving gamblers wherever you might be the moral of the story is very plain to see make your money while you can before you have to stop for when you pull that dead mans hand your gambling days are up and its ride willie ride roll willie roll wherever you are a gambling now nobody really knows1