The Gambler
-Kenny Rogers 

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

He said, son I've made my life
Out of reading people's faces
And knowing 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

{Refrain}
You got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em
Know when to walk away, 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

Now, every gambler knows
The secret to survivin'
Is knowing what to throw away
Knowing what to keep
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best you can hope for
Is to die in your sleep

So when he'd finished speakin'
He turned back toward the window
Crushed out the cigarette
And faded off to sleep
Then somewhere in the darkness
The gambler he broke even
But in his final words I found
An ace that I could keep

{Refrain 3x}