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 Jessie began 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 Jesse down.
Said, "Boys I got to die today."
He had a gang of crapshooters and gamblers at
his bedside,
But hear the words he had to say.

"I guess I ought to know how I wants to go."
(How you want to go, Jesse?)

"I wants eight crapshooters for my pallbearers.
Let 'em all be dressed out in black.
I want nine men going to the graveyard,
But only eight men comin' back.
I wants a gang of gamblers gathered around my
coffin-side,
With a crooked card printed on my hearse
Don't say the crapshooters are lible to 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 (then what?)
Let a deck of cards be my tombstone
I got the dyin' crapshooter's blues

Sixteen real good crapshooters
Sixteen bootleggers1 to sing a song
Sixteen racket men2 gamblin'
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 little Jesse didn't pass out so swell

His head was achin', heart was thumpin'
Little Jesse went to hell bouncin' and jumpin'
Folks, don't be standin' around ole Jesse cryin'
He wants everybody to do the Charleston3 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

The dyin crapshooter's, leavin' the world
The dyin' crapshooter's, goin' down slow
With the dyin' crapshooter's blues