The Gambler Lyrics

On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler we were both too tired of sleep
So we took turns at staring out the window at the darkness
Till boredom overtook us, and he began to speak
He said, Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces
And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes
So if you don't mind my saying, 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
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 sitting at the table
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done
Now Every gambler knows that the secret to surviving
Is knowing what to throw away and knowing what to keep
Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.
And when he'd finished speaking, 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
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 sitting at the table
There'll be time enough for counting when the dealing's done

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