《To Beat the Devil (LP版)》歌词

[00:00:00] To Beat the Devil --Kris Kristofferson

[00:00:01] A couple of years back,

[00:00:01] I come across a great and wasted friend of mine in the hallway of a recording studio;

[00:00:03] and while he was reciting some poetry to me that he'd written,

[00:00:05] I saw that he was about a step away from dyin' and

[00:00:06] I couldn't help but wonder why.

[00:00:08] And the lines of this song occurred to me.

[00:00:09] I'm happy to say he's no longer wasted and he's got him a good woman.

[00:00:12] And I'd like to dedicate this to John and June,

[00:00:13] who helped show me how to beat the devil.

[00:00:14] It was winter time in Nashville, down on music city row.

[00:00:16] And I was lookin' for a place to get myself out of the cold.

[00:00:17] To warm the frozen feelin' that was eatin' at my soul.

[00:00:22] Keep the chilly wind off my guitar.

[00:00:28] My thirsty wanted whisky;my hungry needed beans,

[00:00:33] But it'd been of month of paydays since I'd heard that eagle scream.

[00:00:39] So with a stomach full of empty and a pocket full of dreams,

[00:00:44] I left my pride and stepped inside a bar.

[00:00:50] Actually, I guess you'd could call it a Tavern:

[00:00:54] Cigarette smoke to the ceiling and sawdust on the floor;

[00:01:00] Friendly shadows.

[00:01:01] I saw that there was just one old man sittin' at the bar.

[00:01:12] And in the mirror I could see him checkin' me and my guitar.

[00:01:18] An' he turned and said: "Come up here boy, and show us what you are."

[00:01:23] I said: "I'm dry."He bought me a beer.

[00:01:29] He nodded at my guitar and said: "It's a tough life, ain't it?"

[00:01:34] I just looked at him. He said: "You ain't makin' any money, are you?"

[00:01:40] I said: "You've been readin' my mail."

[00:01:44] He just smiled and said: "Let me see that guitar.

[00:01:48] "I've got something you oughta hear."

[00:01:51] Then he laid it on me:

[00:01:52] "If you waste your time a-talkin' to the people who don't listen,

[00:01:58] "To the things that you are sayin', who do you think's gonna hear.

[00:02:04] "And if you should die explainin' how the things that they complain about,

[00:02:09] "Are things they could be changin', who do you think's gonna care?"

[00:02:16] There were other lonely singers in a world turned deaf and blind,

[00:02:21] Who were crucified for what they tried to show.

[00:02:25] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time.

[00:02:33] 'Cos the truth remains that no-one wants to know.

[00:02:41] Well, the old man was a stranger, but I'd heard his song before,

[00:02:47] Back when failure had me locked out on the wrong side of the door.

[00:02:53] When no-one stood behind me but my shadow on the floor,

[00:02:59] And lonesome was more than a state of mind.

[00:03:05] You see, the devil haunts a hungry man,

[00:03:10] If you don't wanna join him, you got to beat him.

[00:03:16] I ain't sayin' I beat the devil, but I drank his beer for nothing.

[00:03:22] Then I stole his song.

[00:03:27] And you still can hear me singin' to the people who don't listen,

[00:03:33] To the things that I am sayin', prayin' someone's gonna hear.

[00:03:38] And I guess I'll die explaining how the things that they complain about,

[00:03:44] Are things they could be changin', hopin' someone's gonna care.

[00:03:51] I was born a lonely singer, and I'm bound to die the same,

[00:03:56] But I've got to feed the hunger in my soul.

[00:04:02] And if I never have a nickle, I won't ever die ashamed.

[00:04:07] 'Cos I don't believe that no-one wants to know.