Gambler chords by Kenny Rogers

Chords with lyrics

• Capo on 1st

Tuning: EADGBE

Chords:
   A augmentedA   D MajorD   Em/A  G+G   G/DG/D
e|----0------2------0------3------3----|
BB|----2------3------0------0------0----|
G+G|----2------2------0------0------0----|
D MajorD|----2------0------2------0------0----|
A augmentedA|----0-------------0------5------2----|
E MajorE|-------------------------5------0----|

(In a moderate country half-time)

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

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

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

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

Slide capo to 2nd fret:

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

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

      D MajorD           G+G       D MajorD
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,
G+G      D MajorD             A augmentedA
know when to walk away and know when to run.
     D MajorD   Em/A D MajorD         G+G       D MajorD
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.
         G+G     D MajorD    A augmentedA         D MajorD