In the summertime in 1861
And I was livin' near to Cairo town
Only 20 years old when I stepped aboard the River Queen
Well a man walked up in a shiny blue suit
He said “Son you wanna play some cards?”
It was the three-armed poker playin' river rat from New Orleans

Well we sat down to play a little game of Black Jack
And the folks how they gathered round
And then he started to deal so fast my head commenced to spin
In one hand he had a drink
In one hand he had a smoke
In one hand he had a royal flush
Dirty three-armed poker playin' river rat from New Orleans

La la la, La la la na
La la la, La la la na

You know I played ‘til I was broke
Then I upped and walked away
To have a talk with a gal I'd found
For to get some sympathy for way the stranger treated me
Well he walked up as bold as brass
Put two arms around her waist
And with the other hand he knocked me down
I hate the three-armed poker playin' river rat from New Orleans
La la la, La la la na

And now morning has come to rolling River Queen
Where the gamblin' man slept last night
Folks say he fell overboard, and was washed out to sea
And here I'm sitting here in a shiny blue suit
Just a-grinnin' like a crazy fool
Kinda wonderin' what to do with the other sleeve
I hate that three-armed poker playin' river rat from New Orleans