I guess every 22 year old singer-songwriter goes through a phase of writing about being a broken down middle-aged man. But looking at this song from a certain perspective these many decades later, I can’t help but crack the hell up.

I mean, when I wrote the line, “Left my home and my woman about four years ago” — it was in my mind that that seemed like a really long time ago.

Or maybe I was trying to suggest how fast this guy’s descent was, I can’t really tell you anymore. At any rate, I do remember I was trying to write a counterpoint to what seemed like a rash of songs on the radio at the time (1973ish) that celebrated ramblin’ and gamblin’ — though I can only think of one or two, offhand, now.

I wanted to show, you know, the dark side of ramblin’ and gamblin’…

RAMBLER

Left my home and my woman
about four years ago
mostly don’t know when to quit
but then I packed up my losses
and stumbled out on the road

Well I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler
I’m just a shambles of a man
I’m stumbling; my lifes crumblin
I’m just another loser on the lam

If the stakes are low then the time is right
I’m a fool for a penny-ante game
May be gambling with my life
but it’s just small change all the same

Well I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler…

I’ve been beaten, I’ve been cheated
I’ve been shot at from Arkansas to Vietnam
I been shafted, I been laughed at
I been out-casted but I still don give a damn

Well I’m a rambler, I’m a gambler
I’m just a shambles of a man
I’m stumbling; my lifes crumblin
I’m just another loser on the lam

(C) 1973 TK Major