top of page

I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

March into Spring 2024



I Never Promised You A Rose Garden

by Joe South


I beg your pardon,

I never promised you

a rose garden

 

Along with the sunshine

there’s gotta be a little rain

sometime

 

When you take

you gotta give

so live and let live

or let go

 

I beg your pardon,

I never promised you

a rose garden.

 

I could promise you things

like big diamond rings

 

But you don’t find roses growing

on stalks of clover

 

So you better think it over

 

If sweet-talking you

could make it come true

 

I would give you the world

right now

on a silver platter

 

But what would it matter?

 

So smile for a while

and let’s be jolly

 

Love shouldn’t be so melancholy

Come along and share the good times

while we can . . .

 

I beg your pardon,

I never promised you

a rose garden

 

Along with the sunshine

There’s gotta be a little rain

sometime

 

I could sing you a tune

and promise you the moon

 

But if that’s what it takes

to hold you,

I’d just as soon let you go

 

But there’s one thing I want you

to know

 

You better look before you leap,

still waters run deep

 

and there won’t always be

someone there

to pull you out

 

and you know what I’m

talking about

 

So smile for a while

and let’s be jolly

 

Love shouldn’t be so melancholy

 

Come along and share the good times

while we can

 

Yes, come along and share the good times

while we can . . .

 

I beg your pardon . . .

bottom of page