Home Free - The Gambler

on a warm summer's eve on a train bound for nowhere i met up with the gambler we were both too tired to sleep so we took turns staring out the window at the darkness to boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said, son, I've made a life Out of reading people's faces Knowing what the cards were By the way they held their eyes So if you don't mind me saying 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

We are now at Upper Session Road

When the dealing's done Every gambler knows That the secret to surviving Is knowing 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 speaking

Rushed out his cigarette and faded off to sleep And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even And in his final words I found an ace that I could keep You got to know when to hold em

Know when to run, you never count your money When you're sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting When the dealing's done, you got to know when to hold on

Know when to walk away and know when to run.

You never count your money.

When you're sitting at the table, there'll be time enough for counting.

When the dealing's done, you got to know.

You never count your money When you're sitting at the table There'll be time enough for counting But when the dealing's done