#----------------------------------PLEASE NOTE---------------------------------#
#This file is the author's own work and represents their interpretation of the #
#song. You may only use this file for private study, scholarship, or research. #
#------------------------------------------------------------------------------##
****************** TO BEAT THE DEVIL ******************

written and performed by Kris Kristofferson.


Verse 1:(spoken)
             
        It was

              
 winter time i

             
n Nashville,do

/            
wn on music ci

    
ty row
              
        And i 

              
was lookin' fo

              
r a place to g

             
et myself out 

             
of the cold
              
        To war

              
m the frozen f

              
eelin' that wa

             
s eatin' at my

     
 soul
              
        And ke

              
ep the chilly 

              
wind off my gu


itar


Verse 2:(spoken)
             
        My thi

              
rsty wanted wh

           
isky,my hungry

          
 needed beans
              
        But it

              
'd been of mon

              
th of paydays 

        
since i've hea

rd that eagle 

scream
            
        So wit

             
h my stomach f

             
ull of empty a

              
nd my pockets 

              
full of dreams
              
        I left

              
 my pride and 

              
stepped inside

   
 a bar


Bridge:(spoken)
            
        Actual

              
ly i guess you

              
'd could call 

       
it a Tavern...
              
        Cigare

              
tte smoke to t

              
he ceiling and

              
 sawdust on th

    
e floor
              
        Friend

             
ly shadows


Verse 3:(spoken)
             
        I saw 

              
that there was

              
 just one old 

           
man sittin' at

     
 the bar
              
        And in

              
 the mirror i 

              
could see him 

             
checkin' me an

            
d my guitar
              
        He tur

             
ned,and said "

              
Come up here b

            
oy,and show us

               
 what you are"
              
        I said

              
 "I'm dry"-and

              
 he brought me

   
 a beer


Verse 1-bis:(spoken)
             
        He nod

              
ded at my guit

              
ar and said "I

           
t's a tough li

        
fe,ain't it"
              
        I just

              
 looked at him

              
,and he said "

             
You ain't maki

              
n' any money,a

          
re you?"
              
        I said

              
 "You've been 

              
readin' my mai

             
l".He just smi

              
led and said "

            
Let me see you

           
r guitar"
           
        I've g

              
ot something y

            
ou want to hea

r.Then he laid

 it on me


Verse sang 1:
             
        If you

              
 waste your ti

              
me of talkin' 

       
to the people 

who don't list

en
              
        To the

             
 things that y

              
ou are sayin',

            
who do you thi

nk's gonna hea

r
              
        And if

             
 you should di

              
e explaining h

        
ow the things 

that they comp

lain about
              
        Are th

             
ings they coul

              
d be changin' 

             
who do you thi

            
nk's gonna car

e
              
        There 

             
were other lon

              
ely singers in

           
 a world turne

             
d deaf and bli

nd
              
        Who we

              
re crucified f

              
or what they t

          
ried to show
              
        And th

             
eir voice's ha

              
ve been scatte

             
red by the swi

/            
rling winds of

  
 time
              
        Cause 

              
the truth rema

             
ins that no on

            
e wants to kno

w


Verse 4:(spoken)
             
        Well,t

              
he old man was

              
 a stranger,bu

           
t i'd heard hi

          
s song before
              
        Back w

              
hen failure ha

              
d me locked ou

             
t on the wrong

              
 side of the d

     
oor
              
        When n

              
o one stood be

              
hind me but my

             
 shadow on the

      
 floor
              
        And lo

              
nesome was mor

              
e than a state

    
 of mind


Verse 2-bis:(spoken)
             
        You se

              
e,the devil ha

              
unts a hungry 

           
man,and if you

              
 don't wanna j

     
oin him
              
        You go

              
t to beat him
              
        I ain'

              
t sayin' i bea

             
t the devil bu

              
t i drank his 

            
beer for nothi

    
ng
              
        Then i

            
 stole his son

g


Verse sang 2:
              
        And yo

             
u still can he

              
ar me singin' 

        
to the people 

who don't list

en
              
        To the

             
 things that i

              
 am sayin',pra

      
yin' someones 

gonna hear
              
        And i 

             
guess i'll die

              
 explainig how

      
 the things th

at they compla

in about
              
        Are th

             
ings they coul

              
d 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 nickle i won

           
't ever die as

  
hamed
              
        Cause 

              
i don't believ

             
e that no one 

           
wants to know

Thanks to Jan Ekeland for the lyrics.
Perret Charles-Amir : perret@diva.univ-mlv.fr