My guitar, my guitar…
Tell of the hearts that this vagabond has broken.
Yeah, tell of the fun that I’ve had.
Tell of the lovin’ and the laughin’ and the jokin’.
Back when I was glad, Lord-Lord, back when I was glad.
Tell it, pretty guitar.
Tell of the days when the riverboat was turnin’.
Lord, what a gambler’s spree.
Tell her of the hotty way ol’ lady luck was burnin’.
Everyone but me, yeah lucky me, everyone but me.
Now, guitar.
Tell of the time when I took my biggest gamble.
In a game where hearts were high.
Tell of the funny way my heart began to ramble.
When she caught my eye, yeah, when she caught my eye.
Tell it, pretty guitar.
Tell all the folks that this life’s a game of poker.
A fool and gold must part.
But in this hectic world the biggest fool’s the joker.
Who gambles with his heart, Lord-Lord, who gambles with his heart.
One last time guitar.
And that’s the story of a gambler’s guitar…
Song info
Around 1953, Eddie met a Californian musician called Chuck Foreman. Eddie was about 14 and Chuck was 20. Chuck had a rather sofisticated home recording equipment and he and Eddie did a lot of sessions at his house recording songs one track at a time. One of these being “Gambler’s Guitar” which they did in late ’54 or early ’55.