The Gambler chords by Kurt Nilsen

Chords with lyrics

Tuning: Standard (E MajorE A augmentedA D MajorD G+G BB E MajorE)

Verse 1:

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


Verse 2:

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

Verse 3:

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


Chorus:

      G+G           C majorC       G+G
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
C majorC      G+G     C majorC        D MajorD
know when to walk away and know when to run.
     G+G              C majorC       G+G
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
         C majorC     G+G    D MajorD         G+G
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.


[Transpose +2)

Verse 4:

A augmentedA               D MajorD       A augmentedA
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'
  D MajorD        A augmentedA       D MajorD        E MajorE
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.
    A augmentedA             D MajorD       A augmentedA
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,
    D MajorD         A augmentedA       E MajorE      A augmentedA
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."


Verse 5:

  A augmentedA                D MajorD            A augmentedA
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,
D MajorD        A augmentedA       D MajorD      E MajorE
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.
  A augmentedA               D MajorD         A augmentedA
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.
  D MajorD      A augmentedA        E MajorE        A augmentedA
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.


Chorus:

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

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