To Beat The Devil Chords by Kris Kristofferson
Tempo:
95.5 bpm
Chords used:
G
C
D
Em
F
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
A couple of years back I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of
a recording studio.
[Eb] And while he was reciting some poetry to me that he'd written, [F] I saw that he was about
a step away from dying.
And I couldn't help but wonder why.
[G]
The lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm [F] happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June who helped show me how to beat the devil.
It was wintertime in Nashville, [C] down on Music City Road.
[G] And I was looking for a place to [D] get myself out of the cold.
[C] To [D] warm the frozen feeling [G] that was eating at [Em] my soul.
[C] Keep the chilly wind [D] off my guitar.
[G] My thirsty wanted whiskey.
[C] My [G] hunger needed beans.
But it had been a month of [D] payday since I'd heard that eagle scream.
So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] [D] I left my pride and [G] stepped
inside a bar.
[Em] Actually, I guess you'd call [C] it a tavern.
Cigarette [Am] smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor.
[D] [G] Friendly shadows.
I saw that there was just one [C] old man sitting at the [G] bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he turned and said, come up here, [G] boy, and show us [Em] what you are.
[C] I said, I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
[G] He nodded at my guitar [C] and said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
[D] He said, you ain't making no money, are you?
[C] I said, [D] you've been reading my mail.
[G] He just [E] smiled and said, let me see that [C] guitar.
[D] I got something [G] you ought to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
If you waste your time talking [C] to the people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are saying,
[D] who do you think's going to hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could
be changing, who do you think's going to care?
[D] There were other lonely singers in a world turned [G] deaf and blind [C] who were crucified [G] for what they tried to [D] show.
[G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time because the truth remains that no one wants to know.
Well, the old man was a stranger, [C] but I'd heard his [G] song before,
back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door.
[C] When [D] no one stood behind me [G] but my shadow [Em] on the floor.
[C] And lonesome was more than a [D] state of mind.
[G] You see, the devil haunts a hungry [C] man.
[G] If you don't want to join him, [D] you've got to beat him.
[C] I ain't saying [D] I beat the devil, [G] [Em] but I drank his beer for nothing.
[C] [D] Then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to the [G] things that I am saying and praying [D] someone's going to hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the [C] things that they complain about are things that could be changing, [D] hoping someone's going to care.
I was born a lonely singer and I'm [C] bound to die the [G] same.
But I've got to [G] feed the hunger in my [D] soul.
And if I [G] never have a nickel, I will [C] never die a [G] shame.
Because I don't [D] believe that no one [G] wants to know.
a recording studio.
[Eb] And while he was reciting some poetry to me that he'd written, [F] I saw that he was about
a step away from dying.
And I couldn't help but wonder why.
[G]
The lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm [F] happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June who helped show me how to beat the devil.
It was wintertime in Nashville, [C] down on Music City Road.
[G] And I was looking for a place to [D] get myself out of the cold.
[C] To [D] warm the frozen feeling [G] that was eating at [Em] my soul.
[C] Keep the chilly wind [D] off my guitar.
[G] My thirsty wanted whiskey.
[C] My [G] hunger needed beans.
But it had been a month of [D] payday since I'd heard that eagle scream.
So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] [D] I left my pride and [G] stepped
inside a bar.
[Em] Actually, I guess you'd call [C] it a tavern.
Cigarette [Am] smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor.
[D] [G] Friendly shadows.
I saw that there was just one [C] old man sitting at the [G] bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he turned and said, come up here, [G] boy, and show us [Em] what you are.
[C] I said, I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
[G] He nodded at my guitar [C] and said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
[D] He said, you ain't making no money, are you?
[C] I said, [D] you've been reading my mail.
[G] He just [E] smiled and said, let me see that [C] guitar.
[D] I got something [G] you ought to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
If you waste your time talking [C] to the people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are saying,
[D] who do you think's going to hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could
be changing, who do you think's going to care?
[D] There were other lonely singers in a world turned [G] deaf and blind [C] who were crucified [G] for what they tried to [D] show.
[G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time because the truth remains that no one wants to know.
Well, the old man was a stranger, [C] but I'd heard his [G] song before,
back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door.
[C] When [D] no one stood behind me [G] but my shadow [Em] on the floor.
[C] And lonesome was more than a [D] state of mind.
[G] You see, the devil haunts a hungry [C] man.
[G] If you don't want to join him, [D] you've got to beat him.
[C] I ain't saying [D] I beat the devil, [G] [Em] but I drank his beer for nothing.
[C] [D] Then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to the [G] things that I am saying and praying [D] someone's going to hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the [C] things that they complain about are things that could be changing, [D] hoping someone's going to care.
I was born a lonely singer and I'm [C] bound to die the [G] same.
But I've got to [G] feed the hunger in my [D] soul.
And if I [G] never have a nickel, I will [C] never die a [G] shame.
Because I don't [D] believe that no one [G] wants to know.
Key:
G
C
D
Em
F
G
C
D
_ A couple of years back I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of
a recording studio. _
[Eb] And while he was reciting some poetry to me that he'd written, [F] I saw that he was about
a step away from dying.
And I couldn't help but wonder why.
_ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ The lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm [F] happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June who helped show me how to beat the devil. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ It was wintertime in Nashville, [C] down on Music City Road.
[G] _ _ And I was looking for a place to [D] get myself out of the cold.
_ [C] To [D] warm the frozen feeling [G] that was eating at [Em] my soul.
_ [C] _ Keep the chilly wind [D] off my guitar.
_ _ [G] My thirsty wanted whiskey.
[C] My [G] hunger needed beans.
_ But it had been a month of [D] payday since I'd heard that eagle scream.
_ So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] _ [D] I left my pride and [G] stepped
inside a bar.
_ _ [Em] _ Actually, I guess you'd call [C] it a tavern.
Cigarette [Am] smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor.
[D] _ _ _ [G] Friendly shadows. _ _
_ _ _ _ I saw that there was just one [C] old man sitting at the [G] bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he turned and said, come up here, [G] boy, and show us [Em] what you are.
_ [C] _ I said, I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
_ _ [G] He nodded at my guitar [C] and said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
[D] He said, you ain't making no money, are you?
_ [C] I said, [D] you've been reading my mail.
[G] He just [E] smiled and said, let me see that [C] guitar.
_ [D] I got something [G] you ought to hear.
Then he laid it on me. _ _
If you waste your time talking [C] to the people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are saying,
[D] who do you think's going to hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could
be changing, who do you think's going to care?
_ [D] There were other lonely singers in a world turned [G] deaf and blind [C] who were crucified [G] for what they tried to [D] show.
_ [G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time because the truth remains that no one wants to know.
_ _ _ _ _ Well, the old man was a stranger, [C] but I'd heard his [G] song before,
_ back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door.
_ [C] When [D] no one stood behind me [G] but my shadow [Em] on the floor.
_ [C] And lonesome was more than a [D] state of mind.
_ _ _ [G] You see, the devil haunts a hungry [C] man.
_ [G] _ _ If you don't want to join him, [D] you've got to beat him.
_ _ [C] I ain't saying [D] I beat the devil, [G] _ [Em] but I drank his beer for nothing. _
[C] _ _ [D] Then I [G] stole his song. _ _
_ _ And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to the [G] things that I am saying and praying [D] someone's going to hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the [C] things that they complain about are things that could be changing, [D] hoping someone's going to care.
_ I was born a lonely singer and I'm [C] bound to die the [G] same.
But I've got to [G] feed the hunger in my [D] soul.
_ And if I [G] never have a nickel, I will [C] never die a [G] shame.
Because I don't [D] believe that no one [G] wants to know. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
a recording studio. _
[Eb] And while he was reciting some poetry to me that he'd written, [F] I saw that he was about
a step away from dying.
And I couldn't help but wonder why.
_ [G] _
_ _ _ _ _ The lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm [F] happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June who helped show me how to beat the devil. _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ It was wintertime in Nashville, [C] down on Music City Road.
[G] _ _ And I was looking for a place to [D] get myself out of the cold.
_ [C] To [D] warm the frozen feeling [G] that was eating at [Em] my soul.
_ [C] _ Keep the chilly wind [D] off my guitar.
_ _ [G] My thirsty wanted whiskey.
[C] My [G] hunger needed beans.
_ But it had been a month of [D] payday since I'd heard that eagle scream.
_ So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] _ [D] I left my pride and [G] stepped
inside a bar.
_ _ [Em] _ Actually, I guess you'd call [C] it a tavern.
Cigarette [Am] smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor.
[D] _ _ _ [G] Friendly shadows. _ _
_ _ _ _ I saw that there was just one [C] old man sitting at the [G] bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he turned and said, come up here, [G] boy, and show us [Em] what you are.
_ [C] _ I said, I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
_ _ [G] He nodded at my guitar [C] and said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
[D] He said, you ain't making no money, are you?
_ [C] I said, [D] you've been reading my mail.
[G] He just [E] smiled and said, let me see that [C] guitar.
_ [D] I got something [G] you ought to hear.
Then he laid it on me. _ _
If you waste your time talking [C] to the people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are saying,
[D] who do you think's going to hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could
be changing, who do you think's going to care?
_ [D] There were other lonely singers in a world turned [G] deaf and blind [C] who were crucified [G] for what they tried to [D] show.
_ [G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time because the truth remains that no one wants to know.
_ _ _ _ _ Well, the old man was a stranger, [C] but I'd heard his [G] song before,
_ back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door.
_ [C] When [D] no one stood behind me [G] but my shadow [Em] on the floor.
_ [C] And lonesome was more than a [D] state of mind.
_ _ _ [G] You see, the devil haunts a hungry [C] man.
_ [G] _ _ If you don't want to join him, [D] you've got to beat him.
_ _ [C] I ain't saying [D] I beat the devil, [G] _ [Em] but I drank his beer for nothing. _
[C] _ _ [D] Then I [G] stole his song. _ _
_ _ And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to the [G] things that I am saying and praying [D] someone's going to hear.
And I guess I'll die explaining how the [C] things that they complain about are things that could be changing, [D] hoping someone's going to care.
_ I was born a lonely singer and I'm [C] bound to die the [G] same.
But I've got to [G] feed the hunger in my [D] soul.
_ And if I [G] never have a nickel, I will [C] never die a [G] shame.
Because I don't [D] believe that no one [G] wants to know. _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
Facts about this song