To Beat The Devil Lyrics - Waylon Jennings

(Kris Kristofferson) 

It was winter time in Nashville 

Down on Music City Row 

I was lookin' for a place to get 

Myself out of the cold 

To warm the frozen feelin' 

That was eatin' at my soul 

And keep the chilly winds off my guitar. 

My thirsty wanted whiskey 

And my hunger needed beans 

But I guess it'd been a month of payday 

Since I heard that eagle scream 

So with a stomach full of empty 

And a pocket full of dreams 

I left my pride and stepped inside a bar 

Actually I guess you'd call it a tavern 

Cigarette smoke to the ceiling 

Sawdust on the floor friendly shadows. 

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I saw that there was just 

An old man sittin' at the bar 

In the mirror I could see him 

Checkin' me and my guitar 

He said come up here boy 

Show us what you are 

I said I'm dry, he bought me a beer 

He nodded at my guitar. 

Said it's a tough life ain't it 

I just looked at him 

And he said you ain't 

Makin' any money are you 

I said you been readin' my mail 

He just smiled and said let me see that guitar 

I got somethin' you oughta hear 

Then he laid it on me. 

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If you waste your time a talkin' 

To the people who don't listen 

To the things that you are sayin' 

Who do you thinks gonna hear 

And if you should die explainin' 

How the thing they complain about 

Or the things they could be changing 

Who do you thinks gonna care. 

There were lots of other singers 

In the world turned deaf and blind 

Who were crucified for what they tried to show 

Now their voices have been scattered 

By the swirling winds of time 

And the truth remains that no one wants to know. 

Well, the old man was a stranger 

But I'd've heard his song before 

Back when failure had me locked out 

On the wrong side of the door 

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 

And if you don't wanna join him 

Well, he's gotta figure out someway to beat him 

And I ain't sayin' I beat the devil 

But I drink his beer for nothin' 

And then I stole his song 

You can still hear me singin' 

To the people who don't listen 

To the things that I am sayin' 

Prayin' someone's gonna hear 

And I guess I'll die explaining 

How the things that they complain about 

Are things they could be changin' 

Hopin' someone's gonna care. 

I was born to be a singer 

And I'm bound to die the same 

But I've got to feed this hunger in my soul 

If I never have a nickel 

I won't even die in shame 

'Cause I don't believe that no one wants to know...