Kris Kristofferson

To Beat The Devil(Chords)

Kris Kristofferson

Key: G

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	        Verse 1:(spoken) 
          G                              C/G                G  
 	 It was winter time in Nashville,down on music city row 
                                          D                          C/G 
 	 And i was lookin' for a place to get myself out of the cold 
                                           G             Em    C/G 
 	 To warm the frozen feelin' that was eatin' at my soul 
                                          D 
 	 And keep the chilly wind off my guitar 
 
 
Verse 2:(spoken) 
          G                         C/G             G   
 	 My thirsty wanted whisky,my hungry needed beans 
                                                  D  
 	 But it'd been of month of paydays since i've heard that eagle scream 
            C/G                         G                        Em     C/G 
 	 So with my stomach full of empty and my pockets full of dreams 
                                             D             
 	 I left my pride and stepped inside a bar 
 
 
Bridge:(spoken) 
         Em                                      C/G   
 	 Actually i guess you'd could call it a Tavern... 
                                                              D    
 	 Cigarette smoke to the ceiling and stardust on the floor 
                           G 
 	 Friendly shadows 
 
 
Verse 3:(spoken) 
           G                                 C/G             G   
 	 I saw that there was just one old man sittin' at the bar 
                                                     D              C/G  
 	 And in the mirror i could see him checkin' me and my guitar 
                          G                       Em                   C/G   
 	 He turned,and said 'Come up here boy,and show us what you are' 
                                             D 
 	 I said 'I'm dry'-and he brought me a beer 
 
 
Verse 1-bis:(spoken) 
            G                             C/G                   G    
 	 He nodded at my guitar and said 'It's a tough life,ain't it' 
                                                D                               C/G                    
 	 I just looked at him,and he said 'You ain't makin' any money,are you?' 
                                            G                         Em                       C/G      
 	 I said 'You've been readin' my mail'.He just smiled and said 'Let me see your guitar' 
          C/G                           G 
 	 I've got something you want to hear.Then he laid it on me 
 
 
Verse sang 1: 
           G                                     C/G     
 	 If you waste your time of talkin' to the people who don't listen 
                 G                                    D 
 	 To the things that you are sayin',who do you think's gonna hear 
                G                                 C/G  
 	 And if you should die explaining how the things that they complain about 
              G                                     D               G      
 	 Are things they could be changin' who do you think's gonna care 
                   D                           C/G                   G              
 	 There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind 
                                                    D 
 	 Who were crucified for what they tried to show 
                   G                                   C/G                G    
 	 And their voice's have been scattered by this world and winds of times 
                                     D                G   
 	 Cause the truth remains that no one wants to know 
 
 
Verse 4:(spoken) 
          G                                    C/G                G   
 	 Well,the old man was a stranger,but i'd heard his song before 
 	                                         D                          C/G 
 	 Back when failure had me locked out on the wrong side of the door 
                                          G                Em   C/G   
 	 When no one stood behind me but my shadow on the floor 
                                              D 
 	 And lonesome was more than a state of mind 
 
 
Verse 2-bis:(spoken) 
             G                               C/G                           G 
 	 You see,the devil haunts a hungry man,and if you don't wanna join him 
                     D       C/G 
 	 You got to beat him 
                                       G                 Em               C/G 
 	 I ain't sayin' i beat the devil but i drank his beer for nothing 
                          G 
 	 Then i stole his song 
 
 
Verse sang 2: 
                 G                                C/G  
 	 And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen 
                 G                              D 
 	 To the things that i am sayin',prayin' someones gonna hear 
               G                                C/G  
 	 And i guess i'll die explainig how the things that they complain about 
              G                                   D               G 
 	 Are things they could be changin',hopin' someones gonna care 
               D                            C/G              G             
 	 I was born a lonely singer,and i'm bound to die the same 
                                               D 
 	 But i've got to feed the hunger in my soul 
                  G                          C/G          G  
 	 And if i never have a nickle i won't ever die ashamed 
                                   D                 G  
 	 Cause i don't believe that no one wants to know
	        

Written by Kris Kristofferson

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