To Beat The Devil Chords by Johnny Cash
Tempo:
96.3 bpm
Chords used:
G
D
C
E
F#
Tuning:Standard Tuning (EADGBE)Capo:+0fret
Start Jamming...
[G] [F#] [E] [Am]
[D] [G]
It was wintertime in Nashville, down on [C] Music Row, [G] and I was looking for a place [D] to get
myself out of the cold, [G] to warm the frozen feeling [C] that was eating at my soul [G] and keep
the [A] chilly wind [D] off me and [G] my guitar.
Well my thirsty wanted whiskey [C] and my hungry needed beans, [G] but it had been a month of paydays
[D] since I'd heard that eagle scream, [G] so with a stomach full of empty [C] and a pocket full
of dreams, [G] I left my [D] pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
[E] Actually I [D] guess you'd call it a tavern.
[G] Cigarettes smoked to the ceiling, sawdust on the floor, friendly shadows.
Well I saw that there was just one old [C] man that was sitting at the bar, [G]
and in the mirror
I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar, [G] and he turned and he said, come up here [C] boy
and show us what you are.
[G] I said I'm dry.
[D] He [G] bought me a beer.
Then he nodded at my guitar and he said, [C] it's a tough life, ain't it?
[G] I just looked at him and he said, [D] you ain't making any money are you?
[G] I said you've been reading my mail.
[C] He just smiled and said, [G] let me see that guitar, I got something you ought to [D] hear.
[G] Then he laid it on my ear.
If you waste your time talking to the [C] people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are
saying, [D] who do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how the [C] things that they complain [G] about are things they could
be changing, who do [D] you think's gonna [G] care?
[Em] There were other [D] lonely singers [C] in a world [G] turned deaf and blind who were crucified for
what they tried [D] to show.
[G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time, for the truth remains
that [D] no [G] one wants to know.
Well the old man was a stranger, but I'd [C] heard his song before, [G] back when failure had me
locked out on the [D] wrong side of the door.
[G] When no one stood behind me [C] but my shadow on the floor, [G] and lonesome was [D] more than a
[G] state of mind.
You see the devil haunts the hungry man, [C]
[G] and if you don't want to join him, well, [D]
you gotta beat him.
[G] I ain't saying I beat the devil, [C] but I drank his beer for nothing, [G] [D] and then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that I am saying,
praying [D] someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain about [G] are things they could
be changing, [D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
[D] I was born a lonely singer, [C] and I'm bound to [G] die the same, but I've gotta feed the hunger
[D] in my soul.
And [G] if I never have a nickel, [C] I will never [G] die ashamed, cause I don't believe that [D] no
one [G] wants to know.
[E] [D] [G]
[D]
[G] [C]
[G] [N]
[D] [G]
It was wintertime in Nashville, down on [C] Music Row, [G] and I was looking for a place [D] to get
myself out of the cold, [G] to warm the frozen feeling [C] that was eating at my soul [G] and keep
the [A] chilly wind [D] off me and [G] my guitar.
Well my thirsty wanted whiskey [C] and my hungry needed beans, [G] but it had been a month of paydays
[D] since I'd heard that eagle scream, [G] so with a stomach full of empty [C] and a pocket full
of dreams, [G] I left my [D] pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
[E] Actually I [D] guess you'd call it a tavern.
[G] Cigarettes smoked to the ceiling, sawdust on the floor, friendly shadows.
Well I saw that there was just one old [C] man that was sitting at the bar, [G]
and in the mirror
I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar, [G] and he turned and he said, come up here [C] boy
and show us what you are.
[G] I said I'm dry.
[D] He [G] bought me a beer.
Then he nodded at my guitar and he said, [C] it's a tough life, ain't it?
[G] I just looked at him and he said, [D] you ain't making any money are you?
[G] I said you've been reading my mail.
[C] He just smiled and said, [G] let me see that guitar, I got something you ought to [D] hear.
[G] Then he laid it on my ear.
If you waste your time talking to the [C] people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are
saying, [D] who do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how the [C] things that they complain [G] about are things they could
be changing, who do [D] you think's gonna [G] care?
[Em] There were other [D] lonely singers [C] in a world [G] turned deaf and blind who were crucified for
what they tried [D] to show.
[G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time, for the truth remains
that [D] no [G] one wants to know.
Well the old man was a stranger, but I'd [C] heard his song before, [G] back when failure had me
locked out on the [D] wrong side of the door.
[G] When no one stood behind me [C] but my shadow on the floor, [G] and lonesome was [D] more than a
[G] state of mind.
You see the devil haunts the hungry man, [C]
[G] and if you don't want to join him, well, [D]
you gotta beat him.
[G] I ain't saying I beat the devil, [C] but I drank his beer for nothing, [G] [D] and then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that I am saying,
praying [D] someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain about [G] are things they could
be changing, [D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
[D] I was born a lonely singer, [C] and I'm bound to [G] die the same, but I've gotta feed the hunger
[D] in my soul.
And [G] if I never have a nickel, [C] I will never [G] die ashamed, cause I don't believe that [D] no
one [G] wants to know.
[E] [D] [G]
[D]
[G] [C]
[G] [N]
Key:
G
D
C
E
F#
G
D
C
_ [G] _ [F#] _ [E] _ _ _ _ [Am] _
[D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ It was wintertime in Nashville, down on [C] Music Row, _ [G] and I was looking for a place [D] to get
myself out of the cold, [G] to warm the frozen feeling [C] that was eating at my soul [G] and keep
the [A] chilly wind [D] off me and [G] my guitar.
_ Well my thirsty wanted whiskey [C] and my hungry needed beans, [G] but it had been a month of paydays
[D] since I'd heard that eagle scream, [G] so with a stomach full of empty [C] and a pocket full
of dreams, [G] I left my [D] pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
_ _ [E] _ _ Actually I [D] guess you'd call it a tavern.
_ [G] Cigarettes smoked to the ceiling, sawdust on the floor, friendly shadows.
_ _ Well I saw that there was just one old [C] man that was sitting at the bar, _ [G]
and in the mirror
I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar, [G] and he turned and he said, come up here [C] boy
and show us what you are.
[G] I said I'm dry.
[D] He [G] bought me a beer.
_ Then he nodded at my guitar and he said, [C] it's a tough life, ain't it?
[G] I just looked at him and he said, [D] you ain't making any money are you?
[G] I said you've been reading my mail.
[C] He just smiled and said, [G] let me see that guitar, I got something you ought to [D] hear.
[G] Then he laid it on my ear.
If you waste your time talking to the [C] people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are
saying, [D] who do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how the [C] things that they complain [G] about are things they could
be changing, who do [D] you think's gonna [G] care?
_ [Em] There were other [D] lonely singers [C] in a world [G] turned deaf and blind who were crucified for
what they tried [D] to show.
_ [G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time, for the truth remains
that [D] no [G] one wants to know.
_ Well the old man was a stranger, but I'd [C] heard his song before, [G] back when failure had me
locked out on the [D] wrong side of the door.
[G] When no one stood behind me [C] but my shadow on the floor, [G] and lonesome was [D] more than a
[G] state of mind.
_ You see the devil haunts the hungry man, [C] _
_ _ [G] and if you don't want to join him, well, [D]
you gotta beat him.
[G] I ain't saying I beat the devil, [C] but I drank his beer for nothing, _ [G] _ _ [D] and then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that I am saying,
praying [D] someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain about [G] are things they could
be changing, [D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
_ [D] I was born a lonely singer, [C] and I'm bound to [G] die the same, but I've gotta feed the hunger
[D] in my soul.
And [G] if I never have a nickel, [C] I will never [G] die ashamed, cause I don't believe that [D] no
one [G] wants to know.
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
[D] _ _ _ [G] _ _ _ _ _
_ _ It was wintertime in Nashville, down on [C] Music Row, _ [G] and I was looking for a place [D] to get
myself out of the cold, [G] to warm the frozen feeling [C] that was eating at my soul [G] and keep
the [A] chilly wind [D] off me and [G] my guitar.
_ Well my thirsty wanted whiskey [C] and my hungry needed beans, [G] but it had been a month of paydays
[D] since I'd heard that eagle scream, [G] so with a stomach full of empty [C] and a pocket full
of dreams, [G] I left my [D] pride and stepped [G] inside a bar.
_ _ [E] _ _ Actually I [D] guess you'd call it a tavern.
_ [G] Cigarettes smoked to the ceiling, sawdust on the floor, friendly shadows.
_ _ Well I saw that there was just one old [C] man that was sitting at the bar, _ [G]
and in the mirror
I could see him [D] checking me and my guitar, [G] and he turned and he said, come up here [C] boy
and show us what you are.
[G] I said I'm dry.
[D] He [G] bought me a beer.
_ Then he nodded at my guitar and he said, [C] it's a tough life, ain't it?
[G] I just looked at him and he said, [D] you ain't making any money are you?
[G] I said you've been reading my mail.
[C] He just smiled and said, [G] let me see that guitar, I got something you ought to [D] hear.
[G] Then he laid it on my ear.
If you waste your time talking to the [C] people who don't listen [G] to the things that you are
saying, [D] who do you think's gonna hear?
[G] And if you should die explaining how the [C] things that they complain [G] about are things they could
be changing, who do [D] you think's gonna [G] care?
_ [Em] There were other [D] lonely singers [C] in a world [G] turned deaf and blind who were crucified for
what they tried [D] to show.
_ [G] And their voices have been scattered by the swirling winds of time, for the truth remains
that [D] no [G] one wants to know.
_ Well the old man was a stranger, but I'd [C] heard his song before, [G] back when failure had me
locked out on the [D] wrong side of the door.
[G] When no one stood behind me [C] but my shadow on the floor, [G] and lonesome was [D] more than a
[G] state of mind.
_ You see the devil haunts the hungry man, [C] _
_ _ [G] and if you don't want to join him, well, [D]
you gotta beat him.
[G] I ain't saying I beat the devil, [C] but I drank his beer for nothing, _ [G] _ _ [D] and then I [G] stole his song.
And you still can hear me singing to [C] the people who don't listen to [G] the things that I am saying,
praying [D] someone's gonna hear.
[G] And I guess I'll die explaining [C] how the things that they complain about [G] are things they could
be changing, [D] hoping someone's [G] gonna care.
_ [D] I was born a lonely singer, [C] and I'm bound to [G] die the same, but I've gotta feed the hunger
[D] in my soul.
And [G] if I never have a nickel, [C] I will never [G] die ashamed, cause I don't believe that [D] no
one [G] wants to know.
_ _ [E] _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _ _ [G] _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
_ _ _ _ _ [D] _ _ _
_ [G] _ _ _ _ [C] _ _ _
[G] _ _ _ _ _ [N] _ _ _
Facts about this song