Kenny Rogers-The Gambler
[Verse - No drums]G C G
On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere
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I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to speak
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So we took turns a-starin' out the window at the darkness
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'Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak.
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He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
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Knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes,
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And if you don't mind me sayin', I can see you're out of aces,
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And for a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
(bass drum on 2 and 4 to begin with - no snare)
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So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow;
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Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light,
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And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression,
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' said "If you're gon na play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
[Chorus - Half time shuffle]
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You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em,
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Know when to walk away And know when to run.
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You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table;
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There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Verse]
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Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
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Is knownin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep
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'Cause every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser,
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And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
[Verse]
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And when he finished speakin', he turned back toward the window,
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Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep, (drums stop)
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And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler, he broke even,
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But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
[Chorus - Drums back in]
A D A
You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em,
D A A E
Know when to walk away And know when to run.
A E A D A
You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table;
A D A E A
There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Chorus]
A D A
You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em,
D A A E
Know when to walk away And know when to run.
A E A D A
You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table;
A D A E A
There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Chorus - A Cappella]
A D A
You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em,
D A E
Know when to walk away And know when to run.
A E A D A
You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table;
A D A E A
There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.