Winner Lyrics - Bobby Bare

The hulk of a man with a beer in his hand he looked like a drunk old fool 

And I knew if I hit him right why I could knock him off of that stool 

But everybody they said watch out hey that's the Tiger Man McCool 

He's had the whole lotta fights and he's always come out winner yeah he's a winner 

But I had myself about five too many and I walked up tall and proud 

I faced his back and I faced the fact that he had never stooped or bowed 

I said Tiger Man you're a pussycat and a hush fell on the crowd 

I said let's you and me go outside and see who's the winner 

Well he gripped the bar with one big hairy hand then he braced against the wall 

He slowly looked up from his beer my God that man was tall 

He said boy I see you're a scrapper so just before you fall 

I'm gonna tell you just a little bout what it means to be a winner 

He said now you see these bright white smilin' teeth you know they ain't my own 

Mine rolled away like Chicklets down the street in San Antone 

But I left that person cursin' nursin' seven broken bones 

And he only broke ah three of mine that makes me the winner 

He said now behind this grin I got a steel pin that holds my jaw in place 

A trophy of my most successful motorcycle race 

And each morning when I wake and touch this scar across my face 

It reminds me of all I got by bein' a winner 

Now this broken back was the dyin' act of a handsome Harry Clay 

That sticky Cincinnati night I stole his wife away 

But that woman she gets uglier and she gets meaner every day 

But I got her boy that's what makes me a winner 

He said you gotta speak loud when you challenge me son cause it's hard for me to hear 

With this twisted neck and these migraine pains and this big ole cauliflower ear 

And if it wadn't for this glass eye of mine why I'd shed a happy tear 

To think of all that you gonna get by bein' a winner 

I got arthritic elbows boy I got dislocated knees 

From pickin' fights with thunderstorms and chargin' into trees 

And my nose been broke so often I might lose if I sneeze 

And son you say you still wanna be a winner 

Now you remind me a lotta my younger days with your knuckles a clenchin' white 

But boy I'm gonna sit right here and sip this beer all night 

And if there's somethin' that you gotta gain to prove by winnin' some silly fight 

Well okay I quit I lose you're the winner 

So I stumbled from that barroom not so tall and not so proud 

And behind me I still hear the hoots of laughter of the crowd 

But my eyes still see and my nose still works and my teeth're still in my mouth 

And you know I guess that makes me the winner