kris kristofferson
Kris introduces the song this way on the 1970 "Kristofferson" album:
"A couple of years back I came 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."
Johnny acknowledged this by recording it for the album "Hello, I'm Johnny Cash" released January 1970; six months in advance of Kris' own release. Their outlaw friend Waylon Jennings, too ... but only a couple more has done it.
The verses are recited, only the refrain has a distict melody. Then, much are up to you. I'm doing a few clawhammer tricks during the verses.
it was winter time in Nashville down on music city row
and I was looking for a place to get myself out of the cold
to warm the frozen feeling that was eating at my soul
and keep the chilly wind off me and my guitar
my thirsty wanted whiskey and my hungry needed beans
but it'd been a month of pay days since I'd heard that eagle scream
so with a stomach full of empty and pocket full of dreams
I left my pride and stepped inside a bar
actually I guess you'd call it a tavern : cigarette smoke to the ceiling
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 with my guitar
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 and he said "you ain't making any money, are you?"
I said "you've been reading my mail" • he just smiled and said "Let me see that guitar
I got something you ought to hear" : then he laid it on me
"if you waste your time a-talking to the people who don't listen
to the things that you are saying who do you think's going to hear?
and if you should die explaining how the things that they complain about
are things they could be changing who do you think's goin' to 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"
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've got to beat him
I ain't sayin' I beat the devil but I drank his beer for nothing
and 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 going to hear
and I guess I'll die explaining how the things that they complain about
are things they could be changing • hoping someone's goin' to 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 nickel I won't ever die of shame
'cause I don't believe that no-one wants to know
For the following CHORD section, fullscreen/horizontal mobile is recommended.
Chords in brackets may be omitted.
G ... E ... A7 ... D7 ... G G G7 C it was winter time in Nashville down on music city row G Em A7 D7 and I was looking for a place to get myself out of the cold G G7 C to warm the frozen feeling that was eating at my soul G D7 G and keep the chilly wind off me and my guitar [...] E E7 actually I guess you'd call it a tavern cigarette smoke to the ceiling A7 D D7 G sawdust on the floor friendly shadows [...] G G7 C if you waste your time a-talking to the people who don't listen G Em A7 D7 to the things that you are saying who do you think's going to hear G G7 C and if you should die explaining how the things that they complain about G Em D7 G ... G7 are things they could be changing who do you think's goin' to care D D7 C G there were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind C G A7 ... D7 who were crucified for what they tried to show G G7 C G and their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time D7 G 'cause the truth remains that no one wants to know
