The Gambler Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]About 20 years ago,
[C]on a train bound [G]for nowhere,
I met up with The Gambler,
We were both too tired to sleep[D].
So [G]we took turns a starin' through the
[C]window at the dark[G]ness.
Til' boredom [C]overtook [G]us and
[D]he commenced [G]to speak.

[Verse 2]
He said: [G]"Son, I've made a life out of
[C]readin' people's [G]faces,
"And knowin' what their cards were,
by the way they held their [D]eyes.
"And if [G]you don't mind my sayin',
I would [C]say you're out of [G]aces,
"And for one taste [C]of your whis[G]key,
I will [D]give you some ad[G]vice."

[Verse 3]
So I handed him my [G]bottle,
and he drank [C]down my last swal[G]low.
Then he bummed a cigarette,
then he bummed [D]a light.
The night [G]got deathly quiet and
his face [C]lost all expres[G]sion.
He said: "If you're gonna [C]play [G]the game,
boy, you better [D]learn to play [G]it right."

[Verse 4]
[G]"'Cos ev'ry gambler knows
that the [C]secret to survival,
[G]"Is knowin' what to throw away
and knowin' what to keep.
[D]"And eve[G]ry hand's a winner,
just like [C]every hand's [G]a loser.
"And the best [C]that you can hope [G]for
is [D]to die in your sleep[G].

[Verse 5]
"You got [G]to know when to hold 'em,
[C]know when to [G]fold 'em.
[C]"Know when to [G]walk away,
know when to run[D].
"You don't [G]ever count your money while
you're [C]sittin' at [G]the table.
"There'll be time [C]enough [G]for countin'
when [D]the dealin' is [G]done."

[Verse 6]
"You got [G]to know when to hold
[C]'em, know when to [G]fold 'em.
[C]"Know when to [G]walk away,
know when to run[D].
"You don't [G]ever count your money while
you're [C]sittin' at [G]the table.
"There'll be time [C]enough [G]for countin'
when [D]the dealin' is [G]done."

[Verse 7]
[G]And when he finished speakin',
he turned [C]back t'ward the [G]window.
Put out his cigarette,
faded off to sleep[D].
[G]And somewhere in the darkness,
the gam[C]bler he broke [G]even.
But in his [C]fi nal [G]words I found an
[D]ace that I could keep[G].

[Verse 8]
"You got [G]to know when to hold 'em,
[C]know when to [G]fold 'em.
[C]"Know when to [G]walk away,
know when to run[D].
"You don't [G]ever count your money while
you're [C]sittin' at [G]the table.
"There'll be time [C]enough [G]for countin'
when [D]the dealin' is [G]done."

[Verse 9]
"You got [G]to know when to hold 'em,
know when to fold 'em.
"Know [C]when [G]to walk away,
know [G]when to run[D].
"You don't [G]ever count your money while
you're [C]sittin' at [G]the table.
"There'll be time enough for countin'
when the dealin' is done."

[Verse 10]
"You got [G]to know when to hold
[C]'em, know when to [G]fold 'em[C].
"Know when [G]to walk away,
know when [D]to run.
"You don't [G]ever count your money
while you're [C]sittin' [G]at the table.
"There'll be time [C]enough [G]for countin'
when the [D]deal[G]in' is done."