Lily, Rosemary, And The Jack Of Hearts Lyrics - Indians Cowboys Horses Dogs - Tom Russell

The festival was over the boys were all plannin' for a fall 

The cabaret was quiet except for the drillin' in the wall 

The curfew had been lifted and the gamblin' wheel shut down 

Anyone with any sense had already left town 

He was standin' in the doorway lookin' like the Jack of Hearts 

He moved across the mirrored room 

"Set it up for everyone", he said 

Then everyone commenced to do 

What they were doin' before he turned their heads 

Then he walked up to a stranger and he asked him with a grin 

"Could you kindly tell me friend what time the show begins?" 

Then he moved into the corner face down like the Jack of Hearts 

Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs 

Lily had two queens she was hopin' for a third to match her pair 

Outside the streets were fillin' up the window was open wide 

A gentle breeze was blowin' you could feel it from inside 

Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts 

Big Jim was no one's fool he owned the town's only diamond mine 

He made his usual entrance lookin' so dandy and so fine 

With his bodyguards and silver cane and every hair in place 

He took whatever he wanted to and he laid it all to waste 

But his bodyguards and silver cane were no match for the Jack of Hearts 

Rosemary combed her hair and took a carriage into town 

She slipped in through the side door lookin' like a queen without a crown 

She fluttered her false eyelashes and whispered in his ear 

"Sorry darlin' that I'm late", but he didn't seem to hear 

He was starin' into space over at the Jack of Hearts 

"I know I've seen that face before", Big Jim was thinkin' to himself 

"Maybe down in Mexico or a picture up on somebody's shelf" 

But then the crowd began to stamp their feet 

And the house lights did dim 

And in the darkness of the room there was only Jim and him 

Starin' at the butterfly who just drew the Jack of Hearts 

Lily was a princess she was fair skinned and precious as a child 

She did whatever she had to do she had 

That certain flash every time she smiled 

She'd come away from a broken home had lots of strange affairs 

With men in every walk of life which took her everywhere 

But she'd never met anyone quite like the Jack of Hearts 

The hangin' judge came in unnoticed and was being wined and dined 

The drillin' in the wall kept up but no one seemed to pay it any mind 

It was known all around that Lily had Jim's ring 

And nothing would ever come between Lily and the king 

No nothin' ever would except maybe the Jack of Hearts 

Rosemary started drinkin' hard and seein' her reflection in the knife 

She was tired of the attention tired of playin' the role of Big Jim's wife 

She had done a lot of bad things even once tried suicide 

Was lookin' to do just one good deed before she died 

She was gazin' to the future riding on the Jack of Hearts 

Lily washed her face took her dress off and buried it away 

"Has your luck run out?", she laughed at him 

"Well I guess you must have known it would someday 

Be careful not to touch the wall there's a brand-new coat of paint 

I'm glad to see you're still alive you're lookin' like a saint" 

Down the hallway footsteps were comin' for the Jack of Hearts 

The backstage manager was pacing all around by his chair 

"There's something funny going on" he said "I can just feel it in the air" 

He went to get the hangin' judge but the hangin' judge was drunk 

As the leading actor hurried by in the costume of a monk 

There was no actor anywhere better than the Jack of Hearts 

Lily's arms were locked around the man that she dearly loved to touch 

She forgot all about the man she couldn't stand 

Who hounded her so much 

"I've missed you so" she said to him and he felt she was sincere 

But just beyond the door he felt jealousy and fear 

Just another night in the life of the Jack of Hearts 

No one knew the circumstance but they say 

That it happened pretty quick 

The door to the dressing room burst open and a cold revolver clicked 

And Big Jim was standin' there ya couldn't say surprised 

Rosemary right beside him steady in her eyes 

She was with Big Jim but she was leanin' to the Jack of Hearts 

Two doors down the boys finally made it through the wall 

And cleaned out the bank safe it's said that they got off with quite a haul 

In the darkness by the riverbed they waited on the ground 

For one more member who had business back in town 

But they couldn't go no further without the Jack of Hearts 

The next day was hangin' day the sky was overcast and black 

Big Jim lay covered up killed by a penknife in the back 

And Rosemary on the gallows she didn't even blink 

The hangin' judge was sober he hadn't had a drink 

The only person on the scene missin' was the Jack of Hearts 

The cabaret was empty now a sign said "Closed for repair" 

Lily had already taken all of the dye out of her hair 

She was thinkin' 'bout her father who she very rarely saw 

Thinkin' 'bout Rosemary and thinkin' about the law 

But most of all she was thinkin' 'bout the Jack of Hearts