The Gambler Knew What He Was Talking About

byFKelso

3.4K followers

Updated 1 year ago

(This blog is dedicated to FrankB-1, WA member, guitar player, and music advocate)

Here's a niche suggestion for some new WA music-loving member. Write about song writers.

I believe that song writers record the emotional and cultural history of a time by the images they choose to include in their lyrics. To me, these song-writers are the bards of contemporary civilization.

We can learn much about a people and their time on earth by studying song lyrics. Some lessons are light and trivial, and some are profound.

As an example, I'll use lyrics from the song, "The Gambler," written by Don Schlitz, country music songwriter. Don Schlitz, born in August, 1952, has won two Grammy Awards as well as becoming the first non-artist songwriter to be inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.

His song, "The Gambler, was made well-known by singer Kenny Rogers. Its lessons are pretty straight-forward.

Take the first stanza, in which the gambler tells us, "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 could apply this statement to your business, as this knowledge leads to important considerations in your business-making decisions. It could also apply to life in general. Rather than just bulldoze through life, we're better off with a good plan.

We're often told in WA that we will get further ahead if we focus on helping other people, not just zeroing in on how much money we can make.

The very next lines of "The Gambler" address this idea: "You never count your money when you're sitting at the table; there'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done.

Doesn't that line tell you a lot? Don't focus on the money. Instead, be alert to the nuances of the game and the people you are playing with, whether it be poker, business, or life.

Here's another line that gives us clues that could apply either to business or to life in general: "The secret to survival is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep." If you can figure out those two things, you will move forward in life or business exponentially.

One last example from this song. Especially at my age, I find this statement profound. "The best you can hope for is to die in your sleep." When all is said and done, no matter what choices you make, you come to the end.

You won't get out of here alive. If you can pass on to the next level without suffering or pain, what more can you ask?

Think about that.

You could learn a great deal about our world and our times by studying song lyrics-- and wouldn't it be great to learn about the writers of these lyrics? I believe it would be a great niche choice for someone.