Lyrics Townes Van Zandt

Townes Van Zandt

Mr. Mudd & Mr. Gold

The wicked king of clubs awoke

It was to his queen turned

His lips were laughing as they spoke

His eyes like bullets burned

The sun's upon a gambling day

His queen smiled low and blissfully

Let's make some wretched fool to play

Plain it was she did agree

He send his deuce down into diamond

His four to hart, and his trey to spade

Three kings with their legions come

Preparations soon where made

They voted club the days commander

Gave him an army face and number

All but the outlaw jack of diamonds

And the aces in the sky

He give his sevens first instructions

Spirit me a game of stud

Stakes unscarred by limitation

'tween a man named Gold and man named Mudd

Club filled Gold with greedy vapors

'til his long, green eyes did glow

Mudd was left with the sighs and trembles

Watching his hard earned money go

Flushes fell on gold like water

Tens they paired and paired again

But the aces only flew through heaven

And the diamond jack called no man friend

The diamond queen saw Mudd's ordeal

Began to think of her long lost son

Fell to her knees with a mother's mercy

Prayed to the angels every one

The diamond queen, she prayed and prayed

And the diamond angel filled Mudd's hole

The wicked king of clubs himself

Fell in face down in front of Gold

Now three kings come to clubs command

But the angels from the sky did ride

Three kings up on the streets of gold

Three fireballs on the muddy side

The club queen heard her husband's call

But lord that queen of diamond's joy

When the outlaw in the heavenly hall

Turned out to be a wandering boy

Now Mudd he checked and Gold bet all

And Mudd he raised and Gold did call

And the smile just melted off his face

When Mudd turned over that diamond ace

Now here's what this story's told

If you feel like mud you'll end up gold

If you feel like lost, you'll end up found

So amigo, lay them raises down