I had a home down in Texas
Down where the bluebonnets grew
I had the kindest old mother
How happy we were, just we two
Then one day the angels called her
Said they, we'd all have to pay
She called me close to her bedside
These last few words to say
Son, don't start drinkin' and gamblin'
Promise you'll always go straight
Ten years have pa**ed since that parting
That promise I broke by mistake
I started in gambling for pastime
At last I was just like them all
I bet my clothes and my money
Not dreaming that I'd ever fall
One night I bet all my money
Nothing was left to be seen
And all that I needed to beat them
Was one card, and that was the queen
The cards were dealt all round the table
Each one took a card in the draw
And I drew the one that would beat them
I turned it and here's what I saw
I saw my mother's picture
And somehow she seemed to say
"Son, you have broken your promise"
So I tossed the cards all away
The winnings I gave to the newsboy
I knew I was wrong from the start
And I'll never forget my promise
To my mother, the queen of my heart