To Beat the Devil
To Beat the Devil

To Beat the Devil easy guitar chords by Kris Kristofferson

N/A
Guitar
Tuning

E A D G B E

Capo

No capo

Capo

Transpose

0

Capo
  • G

  • D

  • C

  • Em

  • Am

  • G

  • D

  • C

  • Em

  • Am

  • Verse 1
    A couple 
    of years 
    back I 
    come across a 
    great and wasted 
    friend of mine 
    in the hallway of 
    a recording studio. 
    And while he was 
    reciting 
    some poetry to 
    me that he had written, 
    I saw that 
    he was about a step 
    away from dying, 

    and 
    I couldn't help but wonder why. 
    And 
    the 
    lines of this 
    song occurred 
    to me. 
    I'm 
    happy to say 
    he's no longer 
    wasted, and 
    he's got him a good 
    woman. 
    And I'd like to 
    dedicate 
    this to 
    John and June, 
    who 
    helped showed 
    me how to beat 
    the devil. 

    Verse 2

    It was wintertime 
    in Nashville 

    Down 
    on Music 
    City Row 

    And I was looking 
    for a place 

    And to get 
    my
    self 
    out of the 
    cold 

    To warm 
    the 
    frozen 
    feeling that was 

    eating 
    at my soul 

    Keep the chilly 
    wind off my 
    gui
    tar 

    My thirsty 
    wanted whiskey 

    But my hunger needed 
    beans 

    But it had 
    been a month of 
    paydays 

    Since 
    I'd heard 
    that eagle scream 

    So with a stomach 
    full of empty 

    And a pocket 
    full of dreams 

    I left my 
    pride and 
    stepped inside 
    bar 

    Actually 
    I'd guess you'd call 

    it a tavern 

    Cigarette 
    smoke to the ceil
    ing 

    And 
    sawdust 
    on the floor 

    Friendly shad
    ows 

    saw 
    that there was 
    just one 

    old man 
    sitting 
    at the bar 

    And 
    in the mirror I 
    could see him 

    checking me 
    and 
    my guitar 

    And 
    he 
    turned and said, 

    Come up here, 

    boy, and 
    show us 
    what you are 

    I said I'm dry, 
    and he bought 
    me 
    a beer 

    He 
    nodded at 
    my guitar 
    and said, 

    It's a 
    tough life, 
    ain't 
    it? 

    I just 
    looked at 
    him 

    He said, 
    you 
    ain't making 

    any money, are 
    you? 

    said, you been 
    reading 
    my mail 

    He 
    just smiled 
    and said, 

    let me see 
    that guitar 

    I got 
    something you ought to hear 

    And 
    then 
    he laid it on 
    me 

    Verse 3
    If you 
    waste 
    your time 
    a talking 
    To the 

    people 
    who don't 
    listen 

    To the 
    things 
    that you are 
    saying 

    Who do 
    you thinks 
    gonna 
    hear? 

    And 
    if 
    you should 
    die 
    explaining 
    how 

    The 
    things that 
    they complain 
    about 

    Are 
    things they 
    could be 
    changing 

    Who 
    do 
    you thinks 
    gonna 
    care? 

    There were 
    other 
    lonely 
    singers 

    In 
    world turned 
    deaf and 
    blind 

    Who were 
    crucified 
    for 
    what they 

    tried to 
    show 

    And their 
    voices 
    have been 
    scattered 
    by the 

    swirling 
    winds 
    of 
    time 

    ‘Cause the truth remains 
    that 

    no one 
    wants to 
    know 

    Verse 4
    Well 
    the old man 
    was a stranger 

    But 
    I'd heard his 
    song before 


    Back when failure 
    had me 
    locked out 

    On the 
    wrong 
    side of the door 

    When no 
    one 
    stood behind 
    me 

    But my 
    shadow 
    on the floor 

    And lonesome 
    was more than 

    a state of mind 

    You see, the devil 
    haunts a 
    hungry man 

    If 
    you don't want to join 
    him 

    You gotta 
    beat him 

    I ain't saying I 
    beat the devil 

    But I drank 
    his beer 
    for nothing 

    Then I stole 
    his song 

    Verse 5
    And you 
    still can 
    hear me 
    singing 

    To the 
    people 
    who don't 
    listen 

    To the 
    things 
    that I 
    am saying 

    Praying 
    someone's 
    gonna 
    hear 

    And 
    guess 
    I'll die 
    explaining 
    how 

    The 
    things 
    that they complain 
    about 

    Are 
    things 
    they could be 
    changing 

    Hoping 
    someone's 
    gonna care 

    I was 
    born 
    a lonely 
    singer 

    And I'm 
    bound 
    to die the 
    same 

    But I've 
    gotta 
    feed the 
    hunger 
    in my 
    soul 

    And 
    if I 
    never 
    have 
    a nickel 

    I won't 
    ever 
    die 
    ashamed 


    ‘Cause I don't believe 

    that 
    no one 
    wants 
    to 
    know 


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