The Gambler - Kenny Rogers

On a warm summer s evenin

On a train bound for nowhere

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

So we took turns a starin

Out the window at the darkness

Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said son i ve made a life

Out of readin people s faces

And knowin what their cards were by the way they held their eyes

So if you don t mind my sayin

I can see you re out of aces

For a taste of your whiskey i ll give you some advice

So i handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow

Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light

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

Said if you re gonna play the game

Boy you gotta learn to play it right

You got to know when to hold em

Know when to fold em

Know when to walk away and know when to run

You never count your money

When you re sittin at the table

There ll be time enough for countin

When the dealing s done

Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin

Is knowin what to throw away

And knowing what to keep

Cause every hand s a winner

And every hand s a loser

And the best that you can hope

For is to die in your sleep

And when he finished speakin

He turned back towards the window

Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep

And somewhere in the darkness the gambler

He broke even

But in his final words i found an ace that i could keep

You got to know when to hold em

Know when to fold em

Know when to walk away and know when to run

You never count your money when you re sittin at the table

There ll be time enough for countin

When the dealing s done

You got to know when to hold em

When to fold em

Know when to fold em

When to fold em

Know when to walk away and know when to run

You never count your money when you re sittin at the table

There ll be time enough for countin

When the dealing s done

You got to know when to hold em

Know when to fold em

Know when to walk away and know when to run

You never count your money when you re sittin at the table

There ll be time enough for countin

When the dealing s done