To Beat The Devil Chords by Kris Kristofferson
Tempo:
95.1 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
C
Em
E
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[G] A couple of years back I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of a recording studio.
[E] And while he was reciting some poetry [Am] to me that he'd [G] written, I saw that he was about a step away [Abm] from dying.
And I couldn't [D] help but wonder why [G] the lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
I [Bb] dedicate this to [B] John [G] and June who helped show me how to beat the devil.
It was winter time in Nashville, [C] down on Music City [G] Road.
And I was looking for a place [D] to 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.
[C] [D] So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] [D] I left my pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
[Em] Actually I guess you'd call it [C] 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 [G] at the bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he [D] turned and said, come up here [G] boy and show us what [Em] you are.
[C] I said I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
[G] He nodded at my guitar and [C] said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
He [D] said, you ain't making no money, are you?
[C] I said, you've been [D] reading my mail.
[G] He just smiled [E] and said, let me [C] see that guitar.
[D] I got something you ought [G] to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
If you waste your time talking to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that you are saying,
who [D] do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how [C] the things that they complain about [G] are things that could be changing,
[D] who do you [G] think's gonna care?
There [D] were other lonely singers in [C] a world turned deaf [G] and blind
who [C] were crucified [G] for what they tried [D] to show.
And [G] their voices have been scattered by [C] the swirling winds [G] of time
because the truth remains [D] that no one wants [G] to know.
Well, the old man was a stranger, but [C] I'd heard his [G] song before,
back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door,
[C] [D] when no one stood behind [G] me 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]
[G] Then I stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen [G] to the things that I am saying,
[D] praying someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could be changing,
[D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
[D] I was born a lonely singer, and [C] I'm bound to die [G] the same,
[C] but I've got a [G] fever, hunger in [D] my soul.
[G] And if I never have a nickel, I [C] won't ever die [G] a shame,
cause I don't believe [D] that no one [G] wants to know.
[N]
[E] And while he was reciting some poetry [Am] to me that he'd [G] written, I saw that he was about a step away [Abm] from dying.
And I couldn't [D] help but wonder why [G] the lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
I [Bb] dedicate this to [B] John [G] and June who helped show me how to beat the devil.
It was winter time in Nashville, [C] down on Music City [G] Road.
And I was looking for a place [D] to 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.
[C] [D] So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] [D] I left my pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
[Em] Actually I guess you'd call it [C] 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 [G] at the bar.
And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
[C] And he [D] turned and said, come up here [G] boy and show us what [Em] you are.
[C] I said I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
[G] He nodded at my guitar and [C] said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
He [D] said, you ain't making no money, are you?
[C] I said, you've been [D] reading my mail.
[G] He just smiled [E] and said, let me [C] see that guitar.
[D] I got something you ought [G] to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
If you waste your time talking to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that you are saying,
who [D] do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how [C] the things that they complain about [G] are things that could be changing,
[D] who do you [G] think's gonna care?
There [D] were other lonely singers in [C] a world turned deaf [G] and blind
who [C] were crucified [G] for what they tried [D] to show.
And [G] their voices have been scattered by [C] the swirling winds [G] of time
because the truth remains [D] that no one wants [G] to know.
Well, the old man was a stranger, but [C] I'd heard his [G] song before,
back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door,
[C] [D] when no one stood behind [G] me 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]
[G] Then I stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen [G] to the things that I am saying,
[D] praying someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could be changing,
[D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
[D] I was born a lonely singer, and [C] I'm bound to die [G] the same,
[C] but I've got a [G] fever, hunger in [D] my soul.
[G] And if I never have a nickel, I [C] won't ever die [G] a shame,
cause I don't believe [D] that no one [G] wants to know.
[N]
Key:
G
D
C
Em
E
G
D
C
[G] A couple of years back I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of a recording studio.
_ _ [E] And while he was reciting some poetry [Am] to me that he'd [G] written, I saw that he was about a step away [Abm] from dying.
And I couldn't [D] help but wonder why [G] the _ _ _ _ _ lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
I _ [Bb] dedicate this to [B] John [G] and June who helped show me how to beat the devil. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ It was winter time in Nashville, [C] down on Music City [G] Road.
_ And I was looking for a place [D] to 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.
_ [C] [D] So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] _ [D] I left my pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
_ _ [Em] _ Actually I guess you'd call it [C] 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 [G] at the bar.
_ And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
_ [C] And he [D] turned and said, come up here [G] boy and show us what [Em] you are.
_ [C] I said I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
_ _ [G] He nodded at my guitar and [C] said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
_ I just looked at him.
He [D] said, you ain't making no money, are you?
_ [C] I said, you've been [D] reading my mail.
[G] He just smiled [E] and said, let me [C] see that guitar.
[D] I got something you ought [G] to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
_ _ If you waste your time talking to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that you are saying,
who [D] do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how [C] the things that they complain about [G] are things that could be changing,
[D] who do you [G] think's gonna care?
_ There [D] were other lonely singers in [C] a world turned deaf [G] and blind
who [C] were crucified [G] for what they tried [D] to show.
_ And [G] their voices have been scattered by [C] the swirling winds [G] of time
because the truth remains [D] that no one wants [G] to know. _ _ _
_ _ _ Well, the old man was a stranger, but [C] I'd heard his [G] song before,
_ back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door,
[C] _ [D] when no one stood behind [G] me 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] _
[G] Then I stole his song. _ _ _ _
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen [G] to the things that I am saying,
[D] praying someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could be changing,
[D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
_ [D] I was born a lonely singer, and [C] I'm bound to die [G] the same,
[C] but I've got a [G] fever, hunger in [D] my soul.
_ [G] And if I never have a nickel, I [C] won't ever die [G] a shame,
cause I don't believe [D] that no one [G] wants to know.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
_ _ [E] And while he was reciting some poetry [Am] to me that he'd [G] written, I saw that he was about a step away [Abm] from dying.
And I couldn't [D] help but wonder why [G] the _ _ _ _ _ lines of this song occurred to me.
I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.
I _ [Bb] dedicate this to [B] John [G] and June who helped show me how to beat the devil. _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ It was winter time in Nashville, [C] down on Music City [G] Road.
_ And I was looking for a place [D] to 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.
_ [C] [D] So with a stomach full of [G] empty and [Em] a pocket full of dreams, [C] _ [D] I left my pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
_ _ [Em] _ Actually I guess you'd call it [C] 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 [G] at the bar.
_ And in the mirror I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar.
_ [C] And he [D] turned and said, come up here [G] boy and show us what [Em] you are.
_ [C] I said I'm dry.
[D] He bought me a beer.
_ _ [G] He nodded at my guitar and [C] said, it's a tough [G] life, ain't it?
_ I just looked at him.
He [D] said, you ain't making no money, are you?
_ [C] I said, you've been [D] reading my mail.
[G] He just smiled [E] and said, let me [C] see that guitar.
[D] I got something you ought [G] to hear.
Then he laid it on me.
_ _ If you waste your time talking to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that you are saying,
who [D] do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how [C] the things that they complain about [G] are things that could be changing,
[D] who do you [G] think's gonna care?
_ There [D] were other lonely singers in [C] a world turned deaf [G] and blind
who [C] were crucified [G] for what they tried [D] to show.
_ And [G] their voices have been scattered by [C] the swirling winds [G] of time
because the truth remains [D] that no one wants [G] to know. _ _ _
_ _ _ Well, the old man was a stranger, but [C] I'd heard his [G] song before,
_ back when failure had me [D] locked out on the wrong side of the door,
[C] _ [D] when no one stood behind [G] me 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] _
[G] Then I stole his song. _ _ _ _
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen [G] to the things that I am saying,
[D] praying someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain [G] about are things that could be changing,
[D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
_ [D] I was born a lonely singer, and [C] I'm bound to die [G] the same,
[C] but I've got a [G] fever, hunger in [D] my soul.
_ [G] And if I never have a nickel, I [C] won't ever die [G] a shame,
cause I don't believe [D] that no one [G] wants to know.
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ [N] _
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