THE GAMBLER - KENNY ROGERS

VERSE 1:
ON A WARM SUMMER'S EVENIN', ON A TRAIN BOUND FOR NOWHERE
I MET UP WITH THE GAMBLER, WE WERE BOTH TOO TIRED TO SLEEP
SO WE TOOK TURNS A STARIN', OUT THE WINDOW AT THE DARKNESS
'TIL BOREDOM OVERTOOK US, AND HE BEGAN TO SPEAK

HE SAID SON I'VE MADE MY LIFE, OUT OF READIN' PEOPLE'S FACES
AND KNOWIN' WHAT THEIR CARDS WERE, BY THE WAY THEY HELD THEIR EYES
SO IF YOU DON'T MIND ME 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, YA 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, 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

VERSE 2:
NOW EV'RY GAMBLER KNOWS, THE SECRET TO SURVIVIN'
IS KNOWIN' WHAT TO THROW AWAY, AND KNOWING WHAT TO KEEP
'COS EV'RY HAND'S A WINNER, AND EV'RY HAND'S A LOSER
AND THE BEST YOU CAN HOPE FOR IS TO DIE IN YOUR SLEEP

SO WHEN HE'D FINISHED SPEAKIN', HE TURNED BACK TOWARDS THE WINDOW
CRUSHED OUT HIS CIGARETTE, AND 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...

CHORUS...
[CUTBACK]
YOU GOT TO KNOW WHEN TO HOLD 'EM (WHEN TO HOLD 'EM)
KNOW WHEN TO FOLD 'EM (WHEN TO FOLD 'EM)
...

CHORUS...
[COME IN EARLY ON LAST WORD "DONE"]