The Gambler chords by Kenny Loggins

Chords with lyrics

Tuning D#D# G#G# C#C# F#F# A#A# d#


Verse

  E MajorE              A augmentedA       E MajorE
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,
E MajorE                          B7B7
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.
  E MajorE                A augmentedA       E MajorE
So we took turns a starin' out the window at the darkness
             B7B7       E MajorE
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.


verse 2

     E MajorE               A augmentedA        E MajorE
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,
                               B7B7
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.
    E MajorE                A augmentedA         E MajorE
And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.
   A augmentedA       E MajorE      B7B7      E MajorE
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice."

verse 3

   E MajorE              A augmentedA         E MajorE
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.
                        B7B7
Then he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light.
    E MajorE                A augmentedA         E MajorE
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
         A augmentedA        E MajorE         B7B7        E MajorE
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

      E MajorE           A augmentedA       E MajorE
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
A augmentedA      E MajorE             B7B7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
     E MajorE   A augmentedA  E MajorE         A augmentedA       E MajorE
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
       A augmentedA       E MajorE    B7B7        E MajorE
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.


verse 4 (Key change)

FF              Bb majorBb      FF
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
                         C7C7
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
    FF             Bb majorBb       FF
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
    Bb majorBb        FF       C7C7     FF
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


Verse 5

  FF                Bb majorBb           FF
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
                      C7C7
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
  FF               Bb majorBb        FF
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
  Bb majorBb      FF        C7C7        FF
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

      FF           Bb majorBb      FF
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
Bb majorBb      FF             C7C7
know when to walk away and know when to run.
     FF   Bb majorBb  FF         Bb majorBb       FF
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
       Bb majorBb       FF    C7C7        FF
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.