[Verse - No drums] G C G On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere G G D I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to speak G C G So we took turns a-starin' out the window at the darkness C G D7 G 'Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak. G C G He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces, G D Knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes, G C G And if you don't mind me sayin', I can see you're out of aces, C G D G And for a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."
(bass drum on 2 and 4 to begin with - no snare) G C G So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow; G G D Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light, G C G And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression, C G D G ' said "If you're gon na play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.
[Chorus - Half time shuffle] G C G You got to know when to hold 'em, Know when to fold 'em, C G D Know when to walk away And know when to run. G D G C G You never count your money When you're sittin' at the table; C G D G There'll be time enough for countin' When the dealin's done.
[Verse] A D A Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin' A E Is knownin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep A E A D A 'Cause every hand's a winner, and every hand's a loser, D A E A And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
[Verse] A D A And when he finished speakin', he turned back toward the window, A E Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep, (drums stop) A E A D A And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler, he broke even, D A E A 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.
Play the NOTES D,E,G,A. (D 0h2 G 0h2) Then play barre CHORDS: G D/F# Em D - C Bm C D then straight into the verse
[Verse 1 - No drums] I [Em] left my heart to the [C] sappers round Khe Sanh [G][C][G][D] And my [Em] soul was sold with my [C] cigarettes to the [D] Black [D6] market [D7] man [B] I've had the [Em] Vietnam cold [C] turkey, from the [G] ocean to the [G/F#] silver [C] city And it's [Am] only other [F] vets would understand [D][D6][D7][B] About the [Em] long forgotten [C] dockside guarantees [G][C][G][D] How there were [Em] no V-day [C] heroes in [D] 19 [D6] 7 [D7] 3 [B] How we [Em] sailed into Sydney [C] harbour, Saw an [G] old friend but [G/F#] couldn't [C] kiss her She was [Am] lined, and I was [D] home to the lucky land [G][C][G][D]
[Verse 2 - Drums in] And she was [Em] like so many [C] more from that time on [G][C][G][D] Their [Em] lives were all so [C] empty, till they [D] found their [D6] chosen [D7] one [B] And their [Em] legs were often [C] open But their [G] minds were [G/F#] always [C] closed And their [Am] hearts were held in [F] fast suburban [D] chains [D6][D7][B]
And the [Em] legal pads were [C] yellow, hours [G] long, pay [C] packet [G] lean [D] And the [Em] telex writers [C] clattered where the [D] gunships [D6] once had [D7] been [B] But the [Em] car parks made me [C] jumpy And I [G] never [G/F#] stopped the [C] dreams Or the [Am] growing need for [D] speed and novacaine [G][C][G][D]
[Verse 3] So I [Em] worked across the [C] country end to end [G][C][G][D] Tried to [Em] find a place to [C] settle down, where my [D] mixed up [D6] life could [D7] mend [B] Held a [Em] job on an [C] oil-rig Flying [G] choppers [G/F#] when I [C] could But the [Am] nightlife nearly [F] drove me round the bend [D][D6][D7][B] And I've [Em] travelled round the [C] world from year to year [G][C][G][D] And [Em] each one found me [C] aimless, one more [D] year the [D6] worse for [D7] wear [B] And I've been [Em] back to South East [C] Asia But the [G] answer [G/F#] sure ain't [C] there But I'm [Am] drifting north, to [D] check things out a [G] gain [C][G][D]
[Synth Solo CHORDS] Em C G D Em C D B Em C G C Am D (G C G D)
[Verse 4] You know the [Em] last plane out of [C] Sydney's almost gone [G][C][G][D] Only [Em] seven flying [C] hours, and I'll be [D] landing [D6] in Hong [D7] Kong [B] There ain't [Em] nothing like the [C] kisses From a [G] jaded [G/F#] Chinese [C] princess I'm gonna [Am] hit some Hong Kong [F] mattress all night long [D][D6][D7][B]
Well the [Em] last plane out of [C] Sydney's almost gone [G][C][G][D] Yeah the [Em] last plane out of [C] Sydney's almost gone [D][D6][D7][B] And it's [Em] really got me [C] worried I'm goin' [G] nowhere [G/F#] and I'm [C] in a hurry You know the [Am] last plane out of [D] Sydney's almost gone [G][C][G][D] (Repeat from "Last Plane" one time) G C G C - G C G G [End]
[Other Notes] Original D (x5777x) D6 (x57777) D7 (x57778) Ebdim (x6787x) (Can replace Bmaj with Ebdim as per above but fuller with B)