albert was a gambler
he bet with billy’s money
albert’s horses came in last
billy looked at albert funny
albert, said billy thoughtfully
with his chin in his hand
i love you like a brother
but your choices are not grand
billy had a gal named sal
whom he could not afford to wed
when the losses mounted up
albert scratched his head
billy, said albert
i have a master plan
in a shack down by the river
there lives an old man
stop right there, said billy
and do not further go
i have heard this story many times
beginning long ago
the old man with a bag of gold
is older than adam and eve
and there is a long trail a-winding
of chumps who did believe
so i am a chump, am i?
albert angrily replied
you have insulted me, billy
and, poor boy, now you must die
without further ado
albert pulled out a pistol heavy
and shot poor billy full of holes
and dumped his body in the levee
albert took to the swamp
to escape sheriff john brown
and among law-abiding folks
his name evokes a frown
as for the old man
in his shack by the old mill stream
he lives on forever
in the gambler’s and outlaw’s dream
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