Verse 1
I went down to the VFW on a Friday night
Same old crowd, same flickering light
I wasn’t looking for anything, just trying to pass time
When a man in a black coat sat down by mine
He didn’t smile much
Just ordered a drink
Looked at my cards like he could think
Said “you look like a man who’s lost more than he wins”
I said “that depends on what you’re countin’ as sins”
Chorus
We started playing cards at the VFW
And I didn’t like the way he already knew me
Every hand I lost felt like something I gave away
And I couldn’t tell you why I didn’t walk away
Verse 2
At first it was small stuff, cash and pride
Then he started talkin’ about my life
Things I never told anyone out loud
Names I buried, memories I blocked out
He didn’t raise his voice
Didn’t have to try
Just looked at me like he’d been there the whole time
And I swear the room got quieter with every hand
Like the whole place understood what I didn’t understand
Chorus
We kept playing cards at the VFW
And I swear it felt like he already knew the truth
Every loss wasn’t about the game we played
It was something in me I was giving away
And I should’ve stood up
Should’ve walked out the door
But I stayed right there like I needed to lose more
Bridge
On the last hand I finally asked who he was
He just pushed the chips forward and stood up slow
Said “I go by a lot of names, son… you already know”
Then he was gone
Like he was never there
Just an empty chair and a colder air
Final Chorus
I don’t play cards at the VFW
And I don’t talk much about what I went through
But every now and then when the lights get low
I swear I hear him say “you already know”
SilasCrowe
