Kenny Rogers – The Gambler (Ukulele)

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

     G/D              D   A               D
til boredom overtook us and he began to speak

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He said Son I've made a life out of readin' people's faces

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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           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

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And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression

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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     Em/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     Em/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