Winner(Chords)

	        
 
THE WINNER 
Recorded by Bobby Bare 
Written by Shel Silverstein 
 
The (C)hulk of a man with a beer in is hand 
Looked Glike a drunk old fool 
And I knew if I hit him right 
Why I could (C)knock him off-a that stool 
But ever'body they said 'Watch out, 
Hey, that's (F)Tiger Man McCool' 
He's had a (G)whole lot of fights 
And he's always come out a (C)WINNER 
 
(G)Yea!, he's A (C)WINNER. 
 
But I'd had myself about five too many 
And I walked up tall and proud 
I faced his back and I faced the fact 
That he had never stooped or bowed 
I said, 'Tiger Man, you're a pussycat' 
And a hush fell on the crowd 
I said let's you and me go outside and see 
Who's A WINNER. 
 
Well, he gripped the bar with one big hairy hand 
And he braced against the wall 
He slowly looked up from his beer 
My God, that man was tall 
He said boy, I see you're a scrapper 
So just before you fall 
I'm gonna tell you just a little 
'Bout what it means to be A WINNER. 
 
He said 'Now you see these bright white smiling teeth 
You know they ain't my own 
Mine rolled away like chicklets 
Down the street in San Antone 
But I left that person, cursin' 
Nursin' seven broken bones 
And he, uh, only broke, uh, three of mine 
That makes me THE WINNER.' 
 
He said 'Now behind this grin, I got steel pins 
That holds my jaw in place 
A trophy of my most successful 
Motorcycle race 
And each morning when I wake and touch 
This scar across my face 
It reminds me of all I got 
by being A WINNER.' 
 
'Now this broken back was a dying act 
Of a handsome Harry Clay 
That sticky Cincinnati night 
I stole his wife away 
But that woman she gets uglier 
And she gets meaner every day 
But I got her, boy 
that's what makes me A (C)WINNER.....Change to ...(D) 
 
(D)He said 'You gotta speak loud when you challenge me son 
'Cause it's (A)hard for me to hear 
With this twisted neck and these migrane pains 
And this (D)big old cauliflower ear 
And if it wasn't for this glass eye of mine 
Why, I'd (G)shed a happy tear 
To (A)think of all you're gonna get 
By being A (D)WINNER.' 
 
I got ar-th-rit-ic elbows, son 
I got dislocated knees 
From pickin' fights with thunderstorms 
And chargin' into trees 
And my nose's been broke so often 
I might lose it if I sneeze 
And son, you say you 
still wanna be A WINNER.' 
 
'Now you remind me a lot of my younger days 
With your knuckles a-clenchin' white 
But boy, I'm gonna sit right here 
And sip this beer all night 
And if there's somethin' that you gotta gain or prove 
by winnin' some silly fight 
Well, OK, I quit, I lose 
You're THE WINNER.' 
 
Oh, I stumbled from that barroom 
Not so tall and not so proud 
And behind me I still hear 
the hoots and laughter of the crowd 
But my eyes still see and my nose still works 
And my teeth are still in my mouth 
And you know, I guess that 
Makes me THE WINNER. 
 
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|  Submitted by:                        Gene Graham     | 
|  [email protected]                  El Paso, Texas  | 
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