THE GAMBLER
Kenny Rogers
Submitted by: Christopher R.
May 29, 2003

Intro

On a (Eb) warm summers evening, on a (Eb/Ab) train bound for no(Eb)where
I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to (Bb) sleep
So (Eb) we took turns at staring out the (Ab) window at the (Eb) darkness
The (Ab) boredom over(Eb)took us (Bb) and he began to (Eb) speak

He said, (Eb) son I've made a life out of (Eb/Ab) reading people's (Eb) faces
And knowing what the cards were, by the way they held their (Bb) eyes
So if (Eb) you don't mind my sayin', I can (Ab) see you're out of (Eb) aces
For a (Ab) taste of your (Eb) whiskey, I'll (Bb) give you some a(Eb)dvice

So I (Eb) handed him my bottle, and he (Eb/Ab) drank down my last sw(Eb)allow
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a (Bb) light
And the (Eb) night got deathly quiet, and his (Ab) face lost all ex(Eb)pression
Said, if you're (Ab) gonna play the (Eb) game, boy, you gotta (Bb) learn to play it (Eb) right

You got to (Eb) know when to hold 'em, (Ab) know when to (Eb) fold 'em
(Ab) Know when to (Eb) walk away and know when to (Bb) run
You never (Eb) count your money, when you're (Ab) sittin' at the ta(Eb)ble
There'll be (Ab) time enough for (Eb) countin', (Bb) when the dealin's (Eb) done

Key Change

(E) Every gambler knows that the (A) secret to (E) surviving
Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to (B) keep
Cause (E) every hand's a winner and (A) every hand's a (E) loser
And the (A) best that you can (E) hope for is to (A) die in your (E) sleep

And (E) when he finished speakin', he (A) turned back for the win(E)dow
Crushed out the cigarette, faded off to (B) sleep
And (No Chord) somewhere in the darkness, the (A) gambler he broke (E) even
But (A) in his final (E) words I found an (B) ace that I could (E) keep

You got to (E) know when to hold 'em, (A) know when to (E) fold 'em
(A) Know when to (E) walk away and know when to (B) run
You never (E) count your money, when you're (A) sittin' at the ta(E)ble
There'll be (A) time enough for (E) countin', (B) when the dealin's (E) done

You got to (E) know when to hold 'em, (A) know when to (E) fold 'em
(A) Know when to (E) walk away and know when to (B) run
You never (E) count your money, when you're (A) sittin' at the ta(E)ble
There'll be (A) time enough for (E) countin', (B) when the dealin's (E) done

Fade out