Busy Signal – The Gambler

The Gambler
Hmm, oh, hmm, hmm, oh, yeah… hothead!
On a warm summer’s evenin’
On a train bound for nowhere
I met up with the gambler
We were both too tired to sleep
So we took turns to starin’ out the window at the darkness
‘Til boredom overtook us and he began to speak

He said son I’ve made a life, out of readin’ people’s faces
And knowing what their cards were by the way they held their eyes
So if you don’t mind me saying, I can see you’re out of aces
For the taste of your whisky, I’ll give you some advice

So I handed him my bottle, and he drank down my last swallow
And he bummed a cigarette, and asked me for a light
And the night dark gettin’ quiet, and his face lost all expression
Said if you gonna play the game boy, you gotta learn to play it right

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 while sittin’ at the table
There will be time enough for counting when the deal is done

Every gambler knows that the secret to survivin’
Is knowing what to throw in and knowing what to keep
‘Cause every hand’s a winner, and every hands a looser
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep
And when he finished speaking
He turned back towards the window
Crushed down his cigarette, faded off to sleep
And somewhere in the darkness, the Gambler, he broke even
But in his final words I found a message I could keep

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 while sittin’ at the table
There will be time enough for counting when the deal is done

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 while sittin’ at the table
There will be time enough for counting when the deal is done

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 while sittin’ at the table
There will be time enough for counting when the deal is done