To Beat The Devil Lyrics - Me And Bobby Mcgee - 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 

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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 

'Cause the truth remains that no one wants to know 

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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 want to join him 

You gotta beat him 

I ain't saying I beat the devil 

But I drank his beer for nothing 

Then I stole his song 

And you still can hear me singing 

To the people who don't listen 

To the things that I am saying 

Praying someone's gonna hear 

And I guess I'll die explaining how 

The things that they complain about 

Are things they could be changing 

Hoping 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 

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