Chords for Kenny Rogers - The Gambler
Tempo:
87 bpm
Chords used:
E
Eb
A
Ab
B
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[Eb] [Ab] [Bbm] [Ab] On a [Eb] warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere, I met up with a gambler.
We were both [Bb] too tired to sleep, so [Eb] we took turns a-staring.
Out [Ab] the window at the [Eb] darkness, the [Ab] boredom [Eb] overtook us, [Bb] and he [Eb] began to speak.
He said, son, I've made a life [Ab] out of reading [Eb] people's faces,
knowing what the cards were by the way [Bb] they held their [Eb] eyes.
So if you don't mind my saying, I [Ab] can see you're out of [Eb] aces,
or [Ab] a taste of your [Eb] whiskey, [Bb] I'll give you [Eb] some advice.
So I handed him my bottle, [Ab] and he drank down [Eb] my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me [Bb] for a light, [Eb] and the night got deathly quiet.
[Ab] And his face lost [Eb] all expression, [Ab] said if you're gonna play [Eb] the game, boy, you [Bb] gotta learn to play [Eb] it right.
You got to know when to hold up, [Ab] know when [Eb] to fold up, [Ab]
know when [Eb] to walk away, and know when [Bb] to run.
You [Eb] never count your money [Ab] when you're sitting at [Eb] the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [Bb] when the [Eb] dealing's done.
[E] Every gambler knows that [A] the secret to [E] surviving is knowing what to throw away,
knowing what to [B] keep, [E] because every hand's a winner [A] and every hand's [E] a loser.
And [A] the best that you can [E] hope for is to [B] die in your [E] sleep.
And when he finished speaking, [A] he turned back toward the [E] window,
crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to [B] sleep.
[E] And somewhere in the darkness, [A] the [E] gambler he broke even,
[A] but in his [E] final words I [B] found an ace that [E] I could keep.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold [A] up, know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never [A] count [E] your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time [A] enough for [E] counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
You got to know when to hold up, [N] know when to fold up, know when to walk away, and know when to run.
You never count your [E] money when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the dealing's [E] done.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold up, [A] know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never count your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
We were both [Bb] too tired to sleep, so [Eb] we took turns a-staring.
Out [Ab] the window at the [Eb] darkness, the [Ab] boredom [Eb] overtook us, [Bb] and he [Eb] began to speak.
He said, son, I've made a life [Ab] out of reading [Eb] people's faces,
knowing what the cards were by the way [Bb] they held their [Eb] eyes.
So if you don't mind my saying, I [Ab] can see you're out of [Eb] aces,
or [Ab] a taste of your [Eb] whiskey, [Bb] I'll give you [Eb] some advice.
So I handed him my bottle, [Ab] and he drank down [Eb] my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me [Bb] for a light, [Eb] and the night got deathly quiet.
[Ab] And his face lost [Eb] all expression, [Ab] said if you're gonna play [Eb] the game, boy, you [Bb] gotta learn to play [Eb] it right.
You got to know when to hold up, [Ab] know when [Eb] to fold up, [Ab]
know when [Eb] to walk away, and know when [Bb] to run.
You [Eb] never count your money [Ab] when you're sitting at [Eb] the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [Bb] when the [Eb] dealing's done.
[E] Every gambler knows that [A] the secret to [E] surviving is knowing what to throw away,
knowing what to [B] keep, [E] because every hand's a winner [A] and every hand's [E] a loser.
And [A] the best that you can [E] hope for is to [B] die in your [E] sleep.
And when he finished speaking, [A] he turned back toward the [E] window,
crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to [B] sleep.
[E] And somewhere in the darkness, [A] the [E] gambler he broke even,
[A] but in his [E] final words I [B] found an ace that [E] I could keep.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold [A] up, know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never [A] count [E] your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time [A] enough for [E] counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
You got to know when to hold up, [N] know when to fold up, know when to walk away, and know when to run.
You never count your [E] money when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the dealing's [E] done.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold up, [A] know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never count your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
Key:
E
Eb
A
Ab
B
E
Eb
A
[Eb] _ [Ab] _ _ [Bbm] _ _ [Ab] _ On a [Eb] warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere, I met up with a gambler.
We were both [Bb] too tired to sleep, so [Eb] we took turns a-staring.
Out [Ab] the window at the [Eb] darkness, the [Ab] boredom [Eb] overtook us, [Bb] and he [Eb] began to speak.
He said, son, I've made a life [Ab] out of reading [Eb] people's faces,
knowing what the cards were by the way [Bb] they held their [Eb] eyes.
So if you don't mind my saying, I [Ab] can see you're out of [Eb] aces,
or [Ab] a taste of your [Eb] whiskey, [Bb] I'll give you [Eb] some advice.
_ So I handed him my bottle, [Ab] and he drank down [Eb] my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me [Bb] for a light, [Eb] and the night got deathly quiet.
[Ab] And his face lost [Eb] all expression, [Ab] said if you're gonna play [Eb] the game, boy, you [Bb] gotta learn to play [Eb] it right.
You got to know when to hold up, [Ab] know when [Eb] to fold up, [Ab]
know when [Eb] to walk away, and know when [Bb] to run.
You [Eb] never count your money [Ab] when you're sitting at [Eb] the table.
There'll be time enough for counting _ [Bb] when the [Eb] dealing's done. _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] Every gambler knows that [A] the secret to [E] surviving is knowing what to throw away,
knowing what to [B] keep, [E] because every hand's a winner [A] and every hand's [E] a loser.
And [A] the best that you can [E] hope for is to [B] die in your [E] sleep.
And when he finished speaking, [A] he turned back toward the [E] window,
_ crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to [B] sleep.
[E] And somewhere in the darkness, [A] the [E] gambler he broke even,
[A] but in his [E] final words I [B] found an ace that [E] I could keep.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold [A] up, know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never [A] count [E] your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time [A] enough for [E] counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
You got to know when to hold up, [N] know when to fold up, know when to walk away, and know when to run.
You never count your [E] money when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the dealing's [E] done.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold up, [A] know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never count your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done. _ _ _
We were both [Bb] too tired to sleep, so [Eb] we took turns a-staring.
Out [Ab] the window at the [Eb] darkness, the [Ab] boredom [Eb] overtook us, [Bb] and he [Eb] began to speak.
He said, son, I've made a life [Ab] out of reading [Eb] people's faces,
knowing what the cards were by the way [Bb] they held their [Eb] eyes.
So if you don't mind my saying, I [Ab] can see you're out of [Eb] aces,
or [Ab] a taste of your [Eb] whiskey, [Bb] I'll give you [Eb] some advice.
_ So I handed him my bottle, [Ab] and he drank down [Eb] my last swallow.
Then he bombed a cigarette and asked me [Bb] for a light, [Eb] and the night got deathly quiet.
[Ab] And his face lost [Eb] all expression, [Ab] said if you're gonna play [Eb] the game, boy, you [Bb] gotta learn to play [Eb] it right.
You got to know when to hold up, [Ab] know when [Eb] to fold up, [Ab]
know when [Eb] to walk away, and know when [Bb] to run.
You [Eb] never count your money [Ab] when you're sitting at [Eb] the table.
There'll be time enough for counting _ [Bb] when the [Eb] dealing's done. _
_ _ _ _ _ [E] Every gambler knows that [A] the secret to [E] surviving is knowing what to throw away,
knowing what to [B] keep, [E] because every hand's a winner [A] and every hand's [E] a loser.
And [A] the best that you can [E] hope for is to [B] die in your [E] sleep.
And when he finished speaking, [A] he turned back toward the [E] window,
_ crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to [B] sleep.
[E] And somewhere in the darkness, [A] the [E] gambler he broke even,
[A] but in his [E] final words I [B] found an ace that [E] I could keep.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold [A] up, know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never [A] count [E] your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time [A] enough for [E] counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done.
You got to know when to hold up, [N] know when to fold up, know when to walk away, and know when to run.
You never count your [E] money when you're sitting at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the dealing's [E] done.
You got to know when to hold up, [A] know [E] when to fold up, [A] know [E] when to walk away, and know [B] when to run.
[E] You never count your money [A] when you're sitting [E] at the table.
There'll be time enough for counting [B] when the [E] dealing's done. _ _ _