The Emotional Gambler
The part of me that always bets on the next hand: one more try, one more spin, and this time it'll finally pay off. Shopping, limerence, meals, it's all chasing a quick fix for a foundational problem. This song is me admitting the problem.
The chips are low, the lights are bright
Another long and lonely night
Got a single credit to my name
Gotta find a way to stay in the game
The sensible choice is to fold and walk
But I can hear the way the big chips talk
Got a feeling that my luck's about to turn
Got a lesson that I'm never gonna learn
'Cause the rent is due and the tank is dry
Got a single, perfect, beautiful lie
That the next hand's gonna be the one...
And it's one more spin, yeah, that's the trick
Gotta get that final, dopamine kick
I'm betting it all on a single throw
For a jackpot that will never show
It's the emotional gambler's great mistake
You only ever feel the things you break
And I'm all in on a future that's a ghost
'Cause the thing I'm gonna lose is what I need the most
I built a tavern in my soul
Bet the whole damn bankroll
On a single, perfect, desperate night
To make a single wrong thing right
I poured my heart out, played my hand
The greatest story in the land
I pushed my chips across the line
And for a moment, it felt fine
'Cause the dream is better than the bust
A single moment of perfect trust
Is worth the pain that's coming soon...
And it's one more spin, yeah, that's the trick
Gotta get that final, dopamine kick
I'm betting it all on a single throw
For a jackpot that will never show
It's the emotional gambler's great mistake
You only ever feel the things you break
And I'm all in on a future that's a ghost
'Cause the thing I'm gonna lose is what I need the most
And all the wise men, they all say
"Just walk away, just walk away"
"A single dollar, day by day"
"Is the only way you'll ever pay"
"The debt you owe, the price you've paid"
"For every stupid bet you've made"
But the quiet's just so damn boring
And it's one more spin, yeah, that's the trick
Gotta get that final, dopamine kick
I'm betting it all on a single throw
For a jackpot that will never show
It's the emotional gambler's great mistake
You only ever feel the things you break
And I'm all in on a future that's a ghost
'Cause the thing I'm gonna lose is what I need the most
Yeah, the thing I'm gonna lose...
Is what I need the most
...time to cash out
...I'm bust