Karaoké 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 recitin' some poetry to me that he had written

I saw that he was about a step away from dyin' and I couldn't help but wonder why

And uh 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 show me how to beat the devil

It was wintertime in Nashville

Down on Music City Row

And I was lookin' for a place and to get myself out of the cold

To warm the frozen feelin' that was eatin' 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 sittin' at the bar and in the mirror I could see him checkin' 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 makin' any money are you

I said

You been readin' 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-talkin' to the people who don't listen to the things that you are sayin' who do you think's gonna hear

And if you should die explainin' how the things that they complain about are things they could be changin' who do you think's 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 swirlin' 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 gotta beat him

I ain't sayin' I beat the devil but I drank his beer for nothin'

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 explainin' 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 gotta 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