Skin Game Blues (1927)

When I came to Georgia, money and clothes I had, babe
All the money I had done gone, my Sunday clothes in pawn
Sunday clothes in pawn, Sunday clothes in pawn, lovin' babe, my
Sunday clothes in pawn

Said you better let a deal go down, the skin game's comin' to a close
And you better let the deal go down

[Spoken]
Hold the cards! A dollar more! Two more halves

A dollar more the deuce beat a nine, a dollar more the deuce beat a nine, lovin' babe
A dollar more the deuce beat a nine

Went out to the skin game last night, thought I'd have some fun
Lost all the money that I had made, had to pawn my special gun
Had to pawn my special gun, had to pawn my special gun, lovin' babe
Had to pawn my special gun

Said you better let a deal go down, the skin game's comin' to a close
And you better let the deal go down

Says gambled all over Missouri, gambled all through Spain, babe
Police come to arrest me, babe, and they did not know my name

And they did not know my name, and they did not know my name, lovin' babe
And they did not know my name

Better let a deal go down, skin game's comin' to a close
And you better let your deal go down

[Spoken]
Hold the cards! A dollar more the deuce beat a nine! Half more too! Put up over there, nigga

Better let the deal go down, says you better let the deal go down

Gambled all over Missouri, gambled through Tennessee, babe
Soon as I reached old Georgia, 'niggers carried a handcuff to me

The niggers carried a handcuff to me, babe, the niggers carried a handcuff to me, lovin' babe
And the niggers carried a handcuff to me

Better let a deal go down, skin game's comin' to a close
And you better let the deal go down