Let's consider this passage from "Viva Las Vegas."

"If I wind up broke

"Well, I'll always remember

"That I had a swingin' time"

Perhaps casino operators count on some segment of the population embracing that attitude. But really, how many people would have a carefree outlook on losing everything in a gambling binge? And how does one manage to have "a swingin' time" while flushing their liquid assets down the drain?

Elvisesque cavorting, maybe.

Still, it seems like the thing you would always remember is that once you threw away a bunch of money that could have made your life easier and less desperate.

But perhaps I am failing to get into the spirit of the song.

Next: "Freedom's just another word for 'nothing left to lose.'"

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