To Beat The Devil

It was winter time in Nashville

Down on Music City Row

I was lookin' for a place to get

Myself out of the cold

To warm the frozen feelin'

That was eatin' at my soul

And keep the chilly winds off my guitar.

My thirsty wanted whiskey

And my hunger needed beans

But I guess it'd been a month of payday

Since I 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 guess you'd call it a tavern

Cigarette smoke to the ceiling

Sawdust on the floor friendly shadows.

I saw that there was just

An old man sittin' at the bar

In the mirror I could see him

Checkin' me and my guitar

He said come up here boy

Show us what you are

I said I'm dry, he bought me a beer

He nodded at my guitar.

Said it's a tough life ain't it

I just looked at him

And he said you ain't

Makin' any money are you

I said you been readin' my mail

He just smiled and said let me see that guitar

I got somethin' you oughta hear

Then he laid it on me.

If you waste your time a talkin'

To the people who don't listen

To the things that you are sayin'

Who do you thinks gonna hear

And if you should die explainin'

How the thing they complain about

Or the things they could be changing

Who do you thinks gonna care.

There were lots of other singers

In the world turned deaf and blind

Who were crucified for what they tried to show

Now their voices have been scattered

By the swirling winds of time

And the truth remains that no one wants to know.

Well, the old man was a stranger

But I'd've heard his song before

Back when failure had me locked out

On the wrong side of the door

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

And if you don't wanna join him

Well, he's gotta figure out someway to beat him

And I ain't sayin' I beat the devil

But I drink his beer for nothin'

And then I stole his song

You can still hear me singin'

To the people who don't listen

To the things that I am sayin'

Prayin' someone's gonna hear

And I guess I'll die explaining

How the things that they complain about

Are things they could be changin'

Hopin' someone's gonna care.

I was born to be a singer

And I'm bound to die the same

But I've got to feed this hunger in my soul

If I never have a nickel

I won't even die in shame

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