Album Name

Kristofferson

Artist

Kris Kristofferson

Genre

컨트리

Release Date

1970

Release Agency

Monument/Legacy

To Beat The Devil - Kris Kristofferson
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
It was wintertime in Nashville
Down on Music City Row
And I was looking for a place
And to get myself out of the cold
To warm the frozen feeling
that was eating at my soul
Keep the chilly wind off my guitar
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 a bar
Actually I'd guess
you'd call it a tavern
Cigarette smoke to the ceiling
And sawdust on the floor
Friendly shadows
I 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
I 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
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 a 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
'Cos the truth remains
that no one wants to know
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 wanna join him
you got to beat him
I ain't sayin' I beat the devil
but I drank his beer for nothing
Then I stole his song
And you still can 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 a lonely singer
and I'm bound to die the same
But I've got to feed
the hunger in my soul
And if I never have a nickel
I won't ever die ashamed
'Cos I don't believe
that no one wants to know