You’ve all heard the adage, “Do as I say and not as I do.” That applies to the song “Son Of A Rotten Gambler”. Knowing his propensity for playing the odds and relying on the turn of a card, songwriter Chip Taylor didn’t want to see his song follow the same path.
Videos by American Songwriter
“Son Of A Rotten Gambler”, recorded numerous times, most notably by Anne Murray, stands out as a touching piece of fatherly advice. And it gives an excellent indication of the talents of Taylor, as underrated a tunesmith as you’ll find.
Something “Rotten”
The name Chip Taylor might not ring a bell right off the bat for casual music fans. His family connections are notable, however. Taylor’s given name is James Wesley Voight. If the last name strikes you as familiar, you’re on to something. Taylor’s brother is actor Jon Voight, which also makes Taylor the uncle of Angelina Jolie.
Meanwhile, Taylor’s songwriting catalog includes two wildly different songs that are among the most well-known of the 60s and have been recorded umpteen times since. He was the man who wrote “Wild Thing” for The Troggs and “Angel Of The Morning” for Merrilee Rush.
Taylor also plied his trade as a singer-songwriter. That included a stretch of well-regarded albums in the 70s, including Chip Taylor’s Last Chance, the 1973 LP that included “Son Of A Rotten Gambler”. He’d pick up his recording career in the 90s and continue into the new millennium.
What was he doing in the interim between those two stretches? Well, Taylor essentially made his living for a while as a professional gambler, focusing on blackjack. He’d later admit that gambling became a damaging addiction for him. “Son Of A Rotten Gambler” shows that he was already aware of the dangers of the habit well before that all took place.
Exploring the Lyrics of “Son Of A Rotten Gambler”
Taylor writes “Son Of A Rotten Gambler” for his own son, although he looks ahead to the moment when that boy becomes a man and a father in his own right. “And his love will be his vision,” the narrator explains of his future grandchild. He then begins asking his son how he’ll treat that lad. “And will you stand your life by his,” he wonders. “And help the boy become a man?”
He continues the third degree in the second verse. “Will the devil be getting to you,” he asks. “As you look back over what you’ve done?” The older man subtly quizzes the boy on his priorities. “And what you’ve done, was it for reason or for rhyme?” he queries. “Was it just for fun?”
In the bridge, the narrator tries to impart the wisdom he learned the hard way. “There ain’t no kingdom for the gambling man,” he says. “You know the road now and you’ve made your stand.” He then returns to the image of the boy, looking to his father for the path to take: “When his eyes shine upon you.”
That leads into the wondrous chorus, which flows so smoothly thanks to Taylor’s use of internal rhymes. “Will he be the son of his father, his father the teacher?” he asks. “Teaching love and honesty and being his own manhandler/For the son of the son of a run-of-the-mill run, rotten gambler.”
In addition to Anne Murray, The Hollies and Emmylou Harris are among those who did excellent versions of “Son Of A Rotten Gambler”. But we’re partial to Chip Taylor’s original, if only because the emotion in his voice betrays just how important this advice was for him to give, even if he ultimately found it difficult to follow himself.
Photo by Beth Gwinn/Getty Images
Leave a Reply
Only members can comment. Become a member. Already a member? Log in.