To Beat The Devil Chords

Lyrics & chords

[Verse 1]
[G]I h[D]ad [G]this song and Chris saved my life and I wouldn'[D]t,
I wouldn't [G]be here if it weren't for this song,
if it weren't for Chris Gustavus.
I'm having a hell of a
hard enough time
for him sitting right there [D]as I play [C]it.[G]
I [C]had [G]a, I had, you know,
a rough time in Nashville.
Like a lot of people,
they get told no a lot.
An[D]d I'd played that game where,
[G]you know,
if I get told no one more time,
I'm out of [D]here.
I'm packing up,
I'm going [G]back to North Carolina.
I went into this particular meeting
knowing that this was gonna be the meeting
where it all happens.
And I remember I played
probably [D]a half a song,
[G]and the guy said, started waving his hand,
And he goes, um, I don't,
I don't know where you're
[D]from.
[G]I don't know much about you,
but I'd go [D]back there.
And, and that's one time [G]I was going to,
[C]an d I went to my car in the parking lot
of this [D]publishing house[G],
[D]and I just [G]got the Austin Sessions on a CD,
and the next song was
to beat [D]the devil.[G]
and [D]it talked about,
[G]it talked about the very thing I was,
I was going through.
So I decided to stay one more day
[D]af ter I got [G]drunk.
I got drunk first,
then I stayed one more day,
and the next day I got a publishing deal,
phone rang. so I'm [C]here.[D][G]
I'm here because of that man right there.
It was winter time in Nashville,
down [C]on Music City [G]Road,
and I was looking for a place
to [D]get myself out of the cold.
To [C]warm the frozen [D]fever
that was eatin' at my [Em]soul.
[C]To keep the chilly wind off my gui[D]tar.
My [G]thirsty wanted whiskey,
but [C]my hungry needed [D]beans.[G]
It had [C]been a month of paydays
[D]since I'd heard that eagle scream.
So [C]with a stomach full of [D]empty
In a pocket full of dreams,
[Em]I le[C]ft my pride
and stepped inside [D]a bar.
[Em]Actually, I guess you could
call it a tav[C]ern.
Cigarette smoke through the ceiling,
sawdust on the [D]floor,
friendly [G]shadows.
I saw that there was just one old man
sitting at [C]the bar.[G]
And the mirror,
could see him checking out
[D]me and my guitar.
An[C]d he turned and said,
[D]come up here, boy,
[G]and show us who you [Em]are.
[C]I said, I'm dry.
He [D]bought me a beer.
[G]He nodded at my guitar.
He said, it's a tough life, ain't it?
I just looked at him.
[D]He said, you ain't makin' any money,
are you, boy?
I said, mister,
[Em]you been readin' my [C]mail.
Need a smile.
[D]He said, let me see that guitar.
[C]I got somethin' you o[D]ughta h[G]ear.
And he laid it on me.
If you [C]waste [G]your time talkin' to
The [C]people you don't listen to
The [G]things that you are sayin'
[D]Who [G]do you[D] think's gonna hear?
And if [G]you should die, explain it how
[D]The [C]things that they complain about
The [G]things that could be changing
Who do [D]you think's gonna [G]care?
[D]There [G]were [D]other lonely singers
In a [C]world turned up [G]blind
[C]Crucified by wha[G]t they hadn't sho[D]wn
And [G]their voices have been scattered
by the [C]swirling winds of time
[G]Cause the truth remains
that [D]no one wants to [G]know
The old man was a stranger,
but [C]I'd heard his song be[G]fore
Back before fail[C]ure had [Bb]me locked
[D]out of both sides of the door
[C]Well, no one stood be[D]hind me
but my shadow on [Em]the floor
An[C]d lonesome was
more than a [D]state of mind
[G]You see, the devil,
he [C]haunts [G]the hungry men
If you don't want to join him,
you [D]got to beat him
[C]I ain't saying I beat the devil,
[D]but I did drink his beer [Em]for nothing,
[C]an [D]d I stole that son of a
bitch's [G]song.[D][G]
And you can still hear me singing to you,
the [C]people that you don't listen to,
the [G]things
That I am safe
And [D]someone's gonna hear
And I [G]guess I'll die explaining how
The [C]things that they complain about
Are [G]things they could be changing
Hoping [D]someone's gonna [G]care
Well, [C]I was b[D]orn a lonely singer
And I'm [C]bound to die the same
[G]But I've got[C] a fiend to
hun[G]ger in my [D]soul
And if I [G]never have a nip,
I won't [C]ever die ashamed
[G]Cause I don't believe
that [D]no one wants to [G]know[D][Em]
Yeah, I [C]don't believe
that [D]no one wants to [G]know[D][G]
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