The Gambler
Bobby Bare Lyrics

On the warm summer's evening on a train bound for nowhere
Traveling aimlessly on this train on a warm summer night

I met up with a gambler we were both too tired to sleep
Encountered a fellow who gambles on this train who was just as sleepless as I was

So we took turns a starin' out window at the darkness
We gazed outside at the dark landscape alternatively

Till boredom overtook us and he commenced to speak.
We grew restless and he began to speak

He said, "Son I made a life out of readin' people's faces
The gambler disclosed that he made his living interpreting other people's facial expressions

And knowin' what the cards were by the way they held their eyes
He deduced which cards they held by their eye movements

So if you don't mind my sayin', I can see you're out of aces
He was not hesitant to state that I had run out of my best cards

For a taste of your whiskey I would give you some advice.
He offered to exchange his counsel for a swig of my whiskey

So I handed him my bottle and he drank down my last swallow
He gladly took my bottle and emptied it

Then he'd bummed a cigarette then he bummed a light
He then requested and received a cigarette and a light

And the night got deathly quiet and his face lost all expression
Silence fell and his countenance became stony

He said, "If you gonna play the game boy you gotta learn to play it right."
He insisted that in order to succeed, I must learn to play the game perfectly

"You, you gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
The key is knowing when to keep your cards, and knowing when to leave them behind

Know when to walk away, know when to run
When to stay and when to go, and when to flee entirely

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
Never focus on counting your cash while you're still in the game

There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done.
You can tally up after the cards stop coming

"Now, every gambler knows that the secret to survival
He revealed that an essential rule to endure as a gambler

Is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep
is identifying what can be discarded and what ought to be retained

'Cause every hand's a winner just like every hand's a loser
Every new hand is either a triumph or a disaster

And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep.
He seemed to imply that the finest result is a peaceful passing

So when he finished speaking he turned back toward the window
Upon completing his speech, he returned his attention to the dark world outside

Crushed out his cigarette, faded off to sleep
Snuffed his cigarette then drifted off to slumber

Somewhere in the darkness the gambler he broke even
In this pitch-black environment, the gambler finally broke even

In his final words I found an ace that I could keep.
In his last words, I found a valuable bit of knowledge that I could use

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
You must know when to stand by your cards and when to relinquish them

Know when to walk away, know when to run
Understand when to take a break, and when to flee

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
Don't get fixated on cash when you're still in the thick of it

There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done.
You can add up the winnings when the game is finally over.

You gotta know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
It is paramount to recognize when to keep your cards and when to let them go

Know when to walk away, know when to run
Appreciate when it's time to go, and when it's essential to flee

You never count your money when you're sittin' at the table
When you're still in the game, it's best not to focus on how much cash you have

There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin's done
You can tally your winnings after everyone's finished playing