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* transcribed by Frantic Freddy, on request *

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KENNY ROGERS - THE GAMBLER



On a warm summers evening, on a train bound for nowhere

I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep

So we took turns at staring out the window at the darkness

The boredom overtook us and he began to speak



He said, son I've made a life out of reading people's faces

And knowing what the cards were, by the way they held their eyes

So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces

For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice



So I handed him my bottle, and he drank down my last swallow

Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light

And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression

Said, if you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right



Chorus:

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

Know when to walk away and know when to run

You never count your money, when you're sittin' at the table

There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done



Every gambler knows that the secret to survive is

Knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep

'Cos every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser

And the best that you can hope for is that I end asleep



And when he finished speakin', he turned back for the window

Crushed out the cigarette, faded off to sleep

And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even

But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep



chorus repeats 3x