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Listening Activity: The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
This listening activity is based on the famous song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. It is ideal for beginner and intermediate students and includes interesting language points such as the simple past.
Let’s begin with some information about the song!
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers: Song Information
“The Gambler“ is a song performed by American country music artist Kenny Rogers.
Level
Beginner and intermediate students.
Facts about the song
- Song:
The Gambler - Album:
The Gambler - Date of release:
November 15, 1978 - Genre:
Country - Length of the song:
3 minutes and 32 seconds. - Writers:
Don Schlitz - Produced by:
Larry Butler
Interesting information about the song
The song The Gambler by Kenny Rogers tells the story of a late-night encounter on a train “bound for nowhere” between the narrator and a man known only as the gambler. The gambler observes that the narrator is down on his luck (“out of aces”) just by the look in his eyes and offers him advice in exchange for his last swallow of whiskey. After taking the drink and a cigarette, the gambler shares his wisdom:
“Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin’
Is knowin’ what to throw away
And knowin’ what to keep
‘Cause every hand’s a winner
And every hand’s a loser”
The video
The lyrics
Language points
The song includes many interesting language points:
Expressions that may be useful to students:
I met up with the gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin’
Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us, he began to speak
Listening Task: Gap-Fill Exercise
Fill in the gaps with the correct words from the box below:
- aces
- nowhere
- hold
- faces
- money
- quiet
- On a warm summer’s evenin’ on a train bound for __________.
- He said, “Son, I’ve made a life out of readin’ people’s __________.”
- So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of __________.
- You got to know when to __________ ’em, know when to fold ’em.
- You never count your __________ when you’re sittin’ at the table.
- The night got deathly __________ and his face lost all expression.
Source: Wikipedia