Biography:
Donald Alan "Don" Schlitz, Jr. (born 29 August 1952 in Durham, NC, USA) is a country music songwriter. For his song-writing efforts, Schlitz has earned two Grammys, as well as four ASCAP Country Songwriter of the Year awards. Since 1993, Schlitz has also been a member of the Nashville Songwriters Hall of Fame.
Schlitz' first hit as a songwriter was Kenny Rogers' "The Gambler", which became a crossover country hit upon its release in 1978, later becoming one of Rogers' signature songs.
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Four years of hard work!This month of May we celebrated four years on the air. We continue working on the dissemination of this wonderful instrument, thank you for participating in our story!
Original version by Don Schlitz.
[Intro]
C, F, C, F, C, Am, G. C, F, C, F, C, G, C.
[Verse 1]
C F C
On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere
F C Am G
I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep
C F C
So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness
F C G C
The boredom overtook us and he began to speak
C F C
He said, "Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces
Am C Am G
And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
C F C
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces
F C G C
For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice"
C F C
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
Am C Am G
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light
C F C
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression
F C G C
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right"
[Chorus]
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
[Verse 2]
C F C
Now, every gambler knows, the secret to survivin'
Am C Am G
Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep
C F C
'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
Am C G C
And the best you can hope for, is to die in your sleep
C F C
So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window
Am C Am G
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep
C F C
Then somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even
F C G C
But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep
[Chorus]x3
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
[Intro]
C, F, C, F, C, Am, G. C, F, C, F, C, G, C.
[Verse 1]
C F C
On a warm summer's evening, on a train bound for nowhere
F C Am G
I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep
C F C
So we took turns a-staring out the window at the darkness
F C G C
The boredom overtook us and he began to speak
C F C
He said, "Son, I've made my life out of reading people's faces
Am C Am G
And knowing what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
C F C
So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces
F C G C
For a taste of your whiskey, I'll give you some advice"
C F C
So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
Am C Am G
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light
C F C
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression
F C G C
Said, "If you're gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right"
[Chorus]
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
[Verse 2]
C F C
Now, every gambler knows, the secret to survivin'
Am C Am G
Is knowing what to throw away, knowing what to keep
C F C
'Cause every hand's a winner and every hand's a loser
Am C G C
And the best you can hope for, is to die in your sleep
C F C
So when he'd finished speakin', he turned back toward the window
Am C Am G
Crushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep
C F C
Then somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even
F C G C
But in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep
[Chorus]x3
C F C
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
F C Am G
Know when to walk away, know when to run
C G C F C
You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
F C G C
There'll be time enough for countin', when the dealin's done
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