The Gambler | Chords + Lyrics
Intro
||: Eb (Ebadd4) Ab :||
Verse 1
| Eb | Ab Eb |
On a warm summer’s evening, on a train bound for nowhere.
| Eb | Eb Bb |
I met up with a gambler, we were both too tired to sleep.
| Eb | Ab Eb |
So we took turns a-starin’, out the window at the darkness.
| Ab Eb | Bb7 Eb |
The boredom overtook us, and he began to speak.
Verse 2
| Eb | Ab Eb |
He said, “Son, I’ve made a life, out of readin’ people’s faces.
| Eb | Eb Bb |
And knowin’ what the cards were by the way they held their eyes.
| Eb | Ab Eb |
So if you don’t mind my sayin’, I can see you’re out of aces.
| Ab Eb | Bb7 Eb | 2/4 Eb |
For a taste of your whiskey, I’ll give you some advice.”
Verse 3
| Eb | Ab Eb |
So I handed him my bottle, and he drank down my last swallow.
| Eb | Eb Bb |
Then he bummed a cigarette and asked me for a light.
| Eb | Ab Eb |
And the night got deathly quiet, and his face lost all expression.
| Ab Eb | Bb7 Eb |
Said, “If you’re gonna play the game, boy, you gotta learn to play it right.
Chorus 1
| Eb | Ab Eb |
You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
| Ab Eb | Eb Bb7 |
Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
| Eb | Ab Eb |
You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table.
| Eb | Bb7 Eb | Eb |2/4 Eb |
There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealing’s done.
Verse 4 (key change)
| E | A E |
Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’.
| E | E B7 |
Is knowin’ what to throw away and knowin’ what to keep.
| E | A E |
‘Cause every hand’s a winner, and every hand’s a loser,
| A E | B7 E |
And the best that you can hope for, is to die in your sleep.
Verse 5
| E | A E |
And when he finished speakin’, he turned back toward the window.
| E | E B7 |
Crushed out his cigarette, and faded off to sleep.
| E (hold) | A E (hold) |
And somewhere in the darkness, the gambler he broke even.
| A E (hold) | B7 E (hold) |
And in his final words, I found an ace that I could keep.
Chorus 2
| E | A E |
You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
| A E | E B7 |
Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
| E | A E |
You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table.
| E | B7 E |
There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealing’s done.
Chorus 3 (breakdown)
| E | A E |
You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
| A E | E B7 |
Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
| E | A E |
You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table.
| E | B7 E |
There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealing’s done.
Chorus 4
| E | A E |
You got to know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em,
| A E | E B7 |
Know when to walk away, and know when to run.
| E | A E |
You never count your money, when you’re sittin’ at the table.
| E | B7 E |
There’ll be time enough for countin’, when the dealing’s done.
The Gambler’s chords and progressions
Using only I – IV – V chords, Kenny Rogers‘ The Gambler starts in the awkward key of Eb. You could fix this by placing a capo (fret 3) and playing in C.
The problem with this approach is that after the first chorus, we go up a semitone and now you’ll be in trouble!
With this in mind, I’ve written out The Gambler’s chords as if played without a capo at all.
There are two sections to learn, the verse is this in Eb:
| Eb | Ab Eb | Eb | Eb Bb |
| Eb | Ab Eb | Ab Eb | Bb7 Eb |
Thinking in Roman Numerals it’s I – IV – I – V, the second line is: I – IV – I – IV – I – V – I.
By thinking/hearing The Gambler’s chords as Roman Numerals, it’s easier when the key change to E:
| E | A E | E | E B |
| E | A E | A E | B E |
The chorus chords are:
| Eb | Ab Eb | Ab Eb | Eb Bb7 |
| Eb | Ab Eb | Eb | Bb7 Eb |
Compare this with the verse and you’ll see how it is not the same, here it is in E as well:
| E | A E | A E | E B7 |
| E | A E | E | B7 E |
Sometimes, there are more bars at the end, always staying on the I chord (Eb or E). Use the chords and lyrics above to see exactly how and when this happens.
The Gambler chords | Related pages
Intermediate Acoustic
Most intermediate acoustic tunes can’t be played using just basic open-position chords. We have to move up the fretboard and play CAGED barre chords as well.
We incorporate bass lines, add licks, extend chords, and play vocal melodies. Most importantly, we invent second guitar parts and play these songs together.
Five similar tunes
- End Of The Line chords
- Folsom Prison Blues chords
- King Of The Road chords
- On The Road Again chords
- Ring Of Fire chords
Kenny Rogers
Starting out already in the 50s, Kenny Rogers became one of the most beloved country storytellers, by mainly singing covers.
His best tunes include The Gambler, Islands In The Stream, Just Dropped In (To See What Condition My Condition Was In), and She Rides Wild Horses.
Kenny Rogers on the web
Country & Folk
In the primarily acoustic genres of Country & Folk, you must acquire what matters the most: A repertoire. Nothing else will give you the gig.
Learn tunes by Johnny Cash, Dolly Parton, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Dylan, Neil Young, America, Don McLean, and many more.
