To Beat The Devil

          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 sawdust 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                       
        I said "You've been readin' my mail".He just smiled and said "Let me see your guitar"
C/G

          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 the swirling winds of time
                                     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