To Beat The Devil
Jonnny Cash


(G)                              C/G           G
It was winter time in Nashville, down on music row.
                                D                     C/G
And I was lookin for a place to get myself out of the cold
                                 G             Em    C/G
To warm the frozen feelin that was eatin at my soul
                                       D
And keep the chilly wind off me and my guitar


(G)                          C/G           G
My thirsty wanted whisky, my hungry needed beans.
                                        D
But it's been of month of paydays since I've heard that 
eagle scream
   C/G                         G                  
So with my stomach full of empty and my pockets full of 
Em      C/G
dreams
                                     D
I left my pride and stepped inside a bar



(Em)Actually I guess you'd could call it a(C/G)Tavern...
Cigarette smoke to the ceiling stardust on the(D)floor
Friendly shadows(G)

I(G)saw that there was just one old(C/G)man sittin at the
(G)bar
And in the mirror I could see him checkin(D)me and my gui(C/G)tar
              G                           Em         
He turned and said "Come up here biy, and show us what you 
C/G
are"
                                     D
I said "I'm dry"-and he brought me a beer


                                 C/G                   G
He nodded at my guitar and said "It's a tough life ain't it"
                                D            
I just lokked at him and he said"You ain't makin any money
    C/G
are you"
                              G
I said "You been readin my mail"He just smiled and he said
Em                  C/G                                G
"Let me see that guitar, I've got somethin you oughtta hear"
 
Then he laid it on my ear

G                                     C/G
If you waste your time atalkin to the people who dont listen
       G                                    D
To the things that you are sayin who do you thinks gonna hear
       G                                 C/G
And if you should die explaining how the things that they
complain about
    G                                D
Are things they could be changin who do you thinks gonna care
           D                         C/G
There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and
G
blind
                                          D
Who were crucified for what they tried to show
          G                                  C/G      
And their voices have been scattered by this world and winds
   G
of times
                             D               G
Cause the truth remains that no one wants to know


Well the old man was a stranger but Id heard his song before
Back when failure had me locked out on the wrong side of the
door
When no one stood behind me but my shadow on the floor
And lonesome was more than a state of mind

You see the Devil haunts the hungry man and if you dont wanna join him well you gotta beat him
I ain't sayin I beat the Devil but I drank his beer for nothing and the I stole his song

And you still can hear me singing to the people who dont listen
To the things that I am sayin prayin someones gonna hear
And I guess I'll die explainin how the things that they
complain about
Are things they could be changing hopin someones gonna care
I was born a lonely singer and I'm bound to die the same
But Ive got to feed the hunger in my soul
And if I never have a nickel I wont ever die ashamed 
Cause I dont believe that no one wants to know.