Lyrics

Little Jesse was a gambler, night and day He used crooked cards and dice He was a sinful boy, good hearted but had no soul His heart was hard and cold like ice Little Jesse was a wild reckless gambler Won a gang of change And a many gambler's heart he left in pain Little Jesse begin to lose his money but he was all alone And his heart had even turned to stone The police walked up and shot my friend Jеsse down "Boys, I got to die today" He had a gang of crapshootеrs and gamblers at his bedside But here are the words he had to say: "I guess I ought to know Exactly how I wants to go" (How you wanna go, Jesse?) I want eight crapshooters to be my pallbearers Let 'em be all dressed down in black I want nine men going to the graveyard But only eight mens comin' back I want a gang of gamblers gathered 'round my coffin-side Put a crooked card printed on my hearse Don't say the crapshooters'll will never grieve over me My life been a doggone curse Send poker players to the graveyard Dig my grave with the ace of spades I want twelve polices in my funeral march High sheriff playin' blackjack, lead the parade I want the judge and solic'ter who jailed me 14 times Put a pair of dice in my shoes Let a deck of cards be my tombstone I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues I want sixteen real good crapshooters Sixteen bootleggers to sing a song Sixteen [?] riders gamblin' While a couple tend bar while I'm rollin' along He wanted 22 womens outta the Hampton Hotel 26 off-a South Bell 29 women outta North Atlanta Know that little Jesse didn't pass out so swell His head was achin', heart was thumpin' Little Jesse went down bouncin' and jumpin' Folks, don't be standin' around Jesse cryin' He wants everybody to do the Charleston whilst he dyin' One foot up, a toenail dragging Throw my buddy Jesse in the hoodoo wagon Come here mama with that can of booze He got the dyin' crapshooter's blues With the dyin' crapshooter's blues