BUJ Songbook Editor

The Gambler - Kenny Rogers

Intro: 
[G] [G] [G]

Verse 1:
On a [G] warm summer's evenin' on a [C] train bound for [G] nowhere, 
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to [D] sleep.
So [G] we took turns a starin' out the [C] window at the [G] darkness 
'til [C] boredom over [G] took us, [D] and he began to [G] 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 can [C] see you're out of [G] aces. 
For a [C] taste of your [G] whiskey I'll [D] give you some [G] advice."

Verse 3:
So I [G] handed him my bottle and he [C] drank down my last [G] swallow.
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a [D] light.
And the [G] night got deathly quiet, and his [C] face lost all ex[G]pression.
Said, "If you're [C] gonna play the [G] game, boy, ya gotta [D] learn to play it [G] right.

|Chorus:
|You got to [G] know when to hold 'em, [C] know when to [G] fold 'em,
|[C] know when to [G] walk away and know when to [D] run.
|You never [G] count [Am] your [G] money when you're [C] sittin' at the [G] table. 
|There'll be [C] time enough for [G] countin' [D] when the dealin's [G] done.

Verse 4:
 Ev'ry [G] gambler knows that the [C] secret to surv[G]ivin'
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to [D] keep.
'Cause [G] ev'ry hand's a winner and [C] ev'ry hand's a [G] loser,
and the [C] best that you can [G] hope for is to [D] die in your [G] sleep."

Verse 5:
And [G] when he'd finished speakin', he [C] turned back towards the [G] window, 
...Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to [D] sleep.
And [G] somewhere in the darkness the [C] gambler, he broke [G] even.
But [C] in his final [G] words I found an [D] ace that I could [G] keep.

|Chorus x3 (second time is acapella):
|You got to [G] know when to hold 'em, [C] know when to [G] fold 'em,
|[C] know when to [G] walk away and know when to [D] run.
|You never [G] count [Am] your [G] money when you're [C] sittin' at the [G] table. 
|There'll be [C] time enough for [G] countin' [D] when the dealin's [G] done.

Outro:
[G - Double Strum]

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