The Card Cheat

by The Clash

From the album: London Calling

Track 14 of 19 on London Calling (1979).

Duration: 03:49

London Calling cover art

Lyrics for The Card Cheat

There's a solitary man crying, hold me It's only because he's lonely And if the keeper of time runs slowly He won't be alive for long If he only had time to tell of all of the things he planned With a card up his sleeve, what would he achieve? It means nothing To the opium dens and the barroom gin In the Belmont chair, playing violin The gambler's face cracks into a grin As he lays down the king of spades But the dealer just stares There's something wrong here, he thinks The gambler is seized and forced to his knees And shot dead He only wanted more time Away from the darkest door But his luck it gave in as the dawn light crept in And he lay on the floor From the Hundred Year War to the Crimea With a lance and a musket and a Roman spear To all of the men who have stood with no fear In the service of the King Before you met your fate Be sure you did not forsake Your lover may not be around anymore There's a solitary man crying, hold me It's only because he's lonely And if the keeper of time runs slowly He won't be alive for long

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More from London Calling

  1. London Calling
  2. Brand New Cadillac
  3. Jimmy Jazz
  4. Hateful
  5. Rudie Can't Fail
  6. Spanish Bombs
  7. The Right Profile
  8. Lost in the Supermarket
  9. Clampdown
  10. The Guns of Brixton
  11. Wrong 'Em Boyo
  12. Death or Glory
  13. Koka Kola
  14. The Card Cheat
  15. Lover's Rock
  16. Four Horsemen
  17. I'm Not Down
  18. Revolution Rock
  19. Train in Vain (Stand by Me)