Kenny Rogers – The Gambler (Ukulele)

     D                          G             D
On a warm summer's evenin' on a train bound for nowhere,

                                                     A
I met up with the gambler; we were both too tired to sleep.

   D                              G                D
So we took turns a starin' at the darkness out the window 

     G           D        A               D
'til boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.

          D                            G                D
He said, "Son, I've made a life out of readin' people's faces,

                                                             A
and knowin' what their cards were by the way they held their eyes.

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And if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces.

      G             D            A             D
For a taste of your whiskey I'll give you some advice.

     D                           G                  D
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow.

                                              A
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.

        D                                G                 D
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.

                 G                    D             A                D
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, ya gotta learn to play it right.

           D                     G             D
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,

G            D                          A
know when to walk away and know when to run.

          D     A    D                 G              D
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.

                 G          D        A                 D
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

D                            G             D
Ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survivin'

                                                  A
is knowin' what to throw away and knowing what to keep.

       D                         G              D
'Cause ev'ry hand's a winner and ev'ry hand's a loser,

        G                 D              A           D
and the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."

    D                               G                       D
And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back towards the window,

                                           A
crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep.

    D*                            G*                D*
And somewhere in the darkness the gambler, he broke even.

    G*           D*               A*               D*
But in his final words I found an ace that I could keep.

           D                     G             D
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,

G            D                          A
know when to walk away and know when to run.

          D     A     D                G              D
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.

                 G          D        A                 D
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.

           D                     G             D
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em,

G            D                          A
know when to walk away and know when to run.

          D     A     D                G              D
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table.

                 G          D        A                 D
There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done.