Intro  C  F  C  G  C 

          C 
Never hit seventeen 
                F 
When you play against the dealer 
        C 
You know that the odds 
                        G 
Won't ride with you 
        C 
Never leave your woman alone 
                F 
With your friends around to steal her 
                C 
She'll be gambled and gone 
                        G 
Like summer wages 
 
 
And we'll keep rollin on 
Till we get to Vancouver 
And the lady that I love 
Shes living there 
Its been six long months 
And more since I've seen her 
Maybe she's gambled and gone 
Like summer wages 
 
(Chorus)G 
        In all the beer parlors 
                F               C 
        All down along Main Steet 
                C 
        The dreams of the season 
                F                          G 
        Are spilled down on the floor 
                   G 
        All the big stands of timber 
          F                        C 
        Wait there just for fallin' 
                C 
        The hookers stand watchfully 
             F              G 
        Waitin by the door 
 
I'm going to work on them towboats 
With my slippery city shoes 
Lord I swore I would never do that again 
Through the great fog bound straights 
Where the cedars stand waitin 
I'll be lost and gone 
Like summer wages 
 
(Chorus) 
Never hit seventeen 
When you play against the dealer 
You know that the odds 
Won't ride with you 
Never leave your woman alone 
With your friends around to steal her 
She'll be gambled and gone 
Like summer wages 
F                          C 
And the years are gambled and lost 
                      G  C      G C 
Like summer wages