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Artist: Kenny Rogers
Track: The Gambler

Lyrics
On a warm summer's evening
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns a-starin'
Out the window at the darkness
The boredom overtook us
And he began to speak

He said, "Son, I've made a life
Out of readin' people's faces
Knowin' 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've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And 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
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' 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'd finished speakin'
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out his cigarette
Faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
But in his final words
I found an ace that I could keep

You've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And 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've got to know when to hold 'em (when to hold 'em)
Know when to fold 'em (when to fold 'em)
Know when to walk away
And 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've got to know when to hold 'em
Know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away
And 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
Full Lyrics and Meaning
Genius Lyrics
Kenny Rogers – The Gambler
Kenny Rogers' signature song from 1978, Kenny Rogers starred in a series of TV movies with the same name in the ‘80s. There aren’t many other songs that compare playing cards
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AZ Lyrics
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler Lyrics
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Genius Albums
The Gambler by Kenny Rogers
Get all the lyrics to songs on The Gambler and join the Genius community of music scholars to learn the meaning behind the lyrics.
Kenny Rogers (1999) by Kenny Rogers
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Greatest Hits by Kenny Rogers
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The First 50 Years by Kenny Rogers
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The Essential Collection by Kenny Rogers
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Life Is Like A Song (Deluxe Edition) by Kenny Rogers
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MusixMatch Lyrics
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler Lyrics
Lyrics for The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. On a warm summer′s evening On a train bound for nowhere I met up with a gambler We were bo...
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler translation in French
French translation of lyrics for The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. On a warm summer′s evening On a train bound for nowhere I met up with a gambler We were bo...
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler translation in Italian
Italian translation of lyrics for The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. On a warm summer′s evening On a train bound for nowhere I met up with a gambler We were bo...
Kenny Rogers - The Gambler translation in Spanish
Spanish translation of lyrics for The Gambler by Kenny Rogers. On a warm summer′s evening On a train bound for nowhere I met up with a gambler We were bo...
Kenny Rogers - She Believes in Me Lyrics
Lyrics for She Believes in Me by Kenny Rogers. While she lays sleeping I stay out late at night and play my songs And sometimes all the n...
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Genius Artists
Kenny Rogers
Kenneth Ray Rogers was born August 21, 1938 in Houston, TX, the 4th of 8 children. He has been married five times and is the father of five childre n. His first wife was Janice
Genius Q&A
Q:When did Kenny Rogers release “The Gambler”?
Kenny Rogers released “The Gambler” on November 1, 1978.
Q:Who produced “The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers?
“The Gambler” by Kenny Rogers was produced by Larry Butler.
Shazam Lyrics
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Kenny Rogers Lyrics
Kenny Rogers lyrics - 446 song lyrics sorted by album, including "The Gambler", "Islands In The Stream", "Through The Years".