The Gambler

On a warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere

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

So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness

The boredom overtook us, and he began to speak

He said, son I've made my life out of reading people's faces

And knowing what the 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, 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 dealin's done

Every gambler knows, the secret to survivin'

Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep

'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser

And the best you can hope for is to die in your sleep

And when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window

Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep

Then 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, 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 dealin's done

You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em

Know when to walk away, 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 dealin's done