The concept of middling

Stealers Wheel is a Scottish folk rock/rock band formed in 1972
They are probably best known for "Stuck in the Middle With You"

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you.

Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
And I'm wondering what it is I should do,
It's so hard to keep this smile from my face,
Losing control, yeah, I'm all over the place,
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Trying to make some sense of it all,
But I can see that it makes no sense at all,
Is it cool to go to sleep on the floor,
'Cause I don't think that I can take anymore
Clowns to the left of me, Jokers to the right,
Here I am, stuck in the middle with you.

Well you started out with nothing,
And you're proud that you're a self made man,
And your friends, they all come crawlin,
Slap you on the back and say,
Please.... Please.....

Well I don't know why I came here tonight,
I got the feeling that something ain't right,
I'm so scared in case I fall off my chair,
And I'm wondering how I'll get down the stairs,
Clowns to the left of me,
Jokers to the right, here I am,
Stuck in the middle with you,
Yes I'm stuck in the middle with you,
Stuck in the middle with you.


This is not a gambling song but if you're a gambler it might suggest the concept of "middling". Bookmakers are hoping to not get stuck in the middle of your gambling dollars. One classic example:
1979 Super Bowl XIII
Date Played: January 21, 1979
Teams: Pittsburgh Steelers vs. Dallas Cowboys
Winner: STEELERS
Final Score: 35-31
Location: Miami, Florida

Super Bowl XIII matched the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Dallas Cowboys. Pittsburgh was initialed pegged to be a 3.5 point favorite, and at that line a disproportionate share of money was bet on the Steelers to cover that spread. To minimize their risk and balance the dollars bet on both teams, the line increased to as high as 5 points. At that point, money started pouring in on the Cowboys. The closing line was Pittsburgh favored by 4.5 points. The final score was Pittsburgh 35 Dallas 31. Betting lines are different than betting at the racetrack. Your line is the existing line at the time you place your bet. So those that took Pittsburgh as 3.5 point favorites won their bets and those that took the Cowboys as 4.5 or 5 point underdogs won their bets. Vegas bookies lost big by getting middled (i.e. losing to both sides of the bet). Also this might suggest that XIII was unlucky to bookies.

This and other vintage 45 RPM singles are available on www.Niksvinyl.com

Tumbling Dice
The Rolling Stones
(M. Jagger/K. Richards)
Women think I'm tasty, but they're always tryin' to waste me
And make me burn the candle right down,
But baby, baby, I don't need no jewels in my crown.
'Cause all you women is low down gamblers,
Cheatin' like I don't know how,
But baby, I go crazy, there's fever in the funk house now.
This low down bitchin' got my poor feet a itchin',
You know you know the duece is still wild.
Baby, I can't stay, you got to roll me
And call me the tumblin' dice.
Always in a hurry, I never stop to worry,
Don't you see the time flashin' by.
Honey, got no money,
I'm all sixes and sevens and nines.
Say now, baby, I'm the rank outsider,
You can be my partner in crime.
But baby, I can't stay,
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin',
Roll me and call me the tumblin' dice.
Oh, my, my, my, I'm the lone crap shooter,
Playin' the field ev'ry night.
Baby, can't stay,
You got to roll me and call me the tumblin' dice, (Call me the tumblin')
Got to roll me, Got to roll me, Got to roll me (Oh yeah)
Got to roll me. Got to roll me, Got to roll me ( Keep on rolling, Keep on rolling)

And now a word from our sponsor. .......

Go Down Gamblin' by Blood Sweet and Tears

from the album BS&T:4 is available at www.Niksvinyl.com

Stagger Lee/Stack O' Lee List

I was goint to list versions from my collection of Stack O' Lee (and its derivatives) but thought better of it when I found Tom Morgan's List:
It seems pretty complete.

Songs About Gambling and Gamblers

There's probably a lot of these out there but I compiled this. Would love to hear about additions to the list.
Compiled December 28, 2008
Revised December 31, 2008


Ace in the Hole by George Strait
Ace Of Spades by Motorhead
Aces - by Suzy Bogguss
All My Money Gone Blues - Roosevelt Sykes*
Angel And The Gambler (The) by Iron Maiden
Beating the Odds by Molly Hatchet*
Bingo Master's Breakout - The Fall
Black Jack Davy by Carol Ponder
Blackjack by Ray Charles
Bookie's Blues by H-Bomb Ferguson
Both Ends Burning -- Richard Thompson
Bottle of Smoke by Pogues
Calcutta Auction by The Michael Stanley Band
Card Cheat (The) by the Clash
Card Song by Ewan MacColl's
Casino Boogie -- The Rolling Stones
Casino Queen by Wilco
Cincinnati Kid (The) by Ray Charles
Coo Coo Bird by Clarence Ashley
Cowboy junkies lament by Townes Van Zandt
Dangerous Game by Darryl Purpose
Deacon Blues by Steely Dan
Deal by Grateful Dead
Deal by Tom T. Hall
Deal 'em Again by Christopher Cross
Dealer by Traffic
Deck of Cards by Tex Ritter
Dice Man - The Fall
Dice's Blues - Bo Campbell*
Do It Again by Steely Dan
Dogs -- The Who
Dollar bill blues by Townes Van Zandt
Desperado - The Eagles
Desperado Reprise - The Eagles
Draw Blank by State Of Alert
Draw Of The Cards - Kim Carnes
Dyin' Crapshooter's Blues -'Blind' Willie McTell*
Dying Gambler - 'Blind' Willie McTell*
Easy Money by Billy Joel
Five Card Stud by Ace Frehley
Five Card Stud by Dean Martin
Fugue for Tinhorns from Guys and Dolls
Gambler by Madonna
Gambler (The) by Kenny Rogers
Gambler (The) by Leonard Cohen
Gambler (The) by Woody Guthrie
Gambling Bar Room Blues - Jimmie Rodgers*
Gambling Bar Room Blues by John Mellencamp
Gambling Man's Prayer - Piano Kid Edwards*
Gambling Polka Dot Blues - Jimmie Rodgers*
Gambling Woman - Memphis Minnie*
Georgia Skin by Memphis Minnie
Go Down Gamblin' by Blood Sweet and Tears
Good Run Of Bad Luck by Clint Black
Grandma Plays the Numbers by Wynonie Harris
Hat Full of Diamonds by Barbara Phaneuf
Have a Lucky Day by Morphine
Heads Up, Final Table by P. Windrum
Honey (Won't You Open That Door?) by Ricky Skaggs
Hot Shot Gambler - The Sweet
House Of The Rising Sun by Bob Dylan
House Of The Rising Sun - The Animals
I Feel Lucky by Mary Chapin Carpenter -
If I Lose by Ricky Skaggs
It Makes No Difference by The Band.
Jack (The) by AC/DC
Jack O`Diamonds by Blind Lemon Jefferson
Jockey Blues - Sammy Brown*
Joker (The) by the Steve Miller Band
Joker's Wild (The) - Insane Clown Posse
Kentucky Gambler by Merle Haggard
King Of Spades - Peetie Wheatstraw*
Lay Your Money Down by Bread
Lily, Rosemary And The Jack Of Hearts by Bob Dylan
Life Is Like A Card Game - 'Big' Joe Turner*
Loser (The) by Grateful Dead
Losing Hand by Ray Charles
Luck be a Lady - Frank Sinatra
Luck Of The Draw by Bonnie Raitt
Luigi by Louis Prima
Maverick by Restless Heart
Me and My Uncle by Katy Moffat
Moonlight Gambler (The) by Frankie Laine
Mother the Queen of my Heart by Jerry Lee Lewis
Mr. Siegal by Tom Waits
Mr Gold and Mr Mud by Townes Van Zandt
My Last Words by Megadeth
New Orleans by Odetta
No Cheap Thrill by Suzanne Vega
Norman the Gambler (rides around in a Rambler) by Max Romeo and the Upsetters
Patience by P. Windrum
Poker by Electric Light Orchestra
Poker Woman Blues - Blind Blake *
Policy Wheel Blues by Kokomo Arnold
Pool Playing Blues by Amos Milburn
Queen of Hearts by Dave Edmunds
Racetrack Blues by Lightnin' Hopkins
Railroadin' & Gamblin' - Uncle Dave Macon*
Ramble on Rose by Grateful Dead
Rambling Gambler - The Dixon Brothers*
Ramblin' Gamblin' Man by Bob Seeger
Ramblin' Gamblin' Willie by Bob Dylan
Renegades, Rebels and Rogues by Tracy Lawrence
Rex's blues by Townes Van Zandt
Ride Gambler Ride by Randy Newman
Riverboat Gambler by Carly Simon
Roll The Bones by Excelsier Quartette (1922)
Roller - April Wine
Roving Gambler - Elton Britt*
Roving Gambler by Rick Robbins with Rory Block
Royal Straight Flush by Banda Conexao
Scarlet Begonias by Grateful Dead
Seven Come Eleven by Rusty Draper
Shake Rattle and Roll by Al Bernard (unrelated to the Bill Haley Song) http://cylinders.library.ucsb.edu/mp3s/5000/5974/cusb-cyl5974d.mp3 Al Bernard's song - audio file
Shape of my heart by Sting
Shooting High Dice - Mississippi Sheiks*
Sin City - AC/DC
Skin Game - Peg Leg Howell*
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke that Cigarette! by Tex Williams
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke that Cigarette! by Merle Travis
Smoke! Smoke! Smoke that Cigarette! by Doc and Merle Watson
Somebody Loses, Somebody Wins by Rosie Flores
Son of a Rotten Gambler by Hollies
Son of A Rotten Gambler by Emmylou Harris
St John the gambler by Townes Van Zandt
Stack O' Lee (many to be added)
Stewball by The Clovers
Stewball by Lonnie Donnegan
Stewball by Peter Paul and Mary
Still the Same by Bob Seger
Strangers Song by Leonard Cohen
Stranglers (The) by Ice Queen
Summer Wages by Ian Tyson
There's A Place In The World For A Gambler by Dan Fogelberg
Three Card Trick by Clash
Truckin' by Grateful Dead
Turn of a Friendly Card by Alan Parsons
Uptown Poker Club by Jerry Reed
Up On Cripple Creek by The Band
Walking Away A Winner by Kathy Mattea
Weaverville by Mary McCaslin
We're an American Band by Grand Funk
Wheel of Fortune by Kay Starr
Wheel of Fortune by The Cardinals
Whiskey, Women And Loaded Dice by Sticks McGhee
Whiskey Women And Loaded Dice by Liggins, Joe*
Who Killed Davie Moore - Bob Dylan
Winner Takes It All (The) by Abba
Wrong 'em Boyo (The) by The Clash
Ya Got Trouble from The Music Man
You Can't Beat The Horses by Big Boy Groves


* Songs on the CD: High Rollers: Vintage Gambling Songs 1920-1952, An excellent compilation

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