I Never Promised You a Rose Garden

Joe South, 1967· Songs Well-Known in America · p.157

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Chorus:

G Am D7 G

I beg your pardon, I never promised you a rose garden

Am D7 G

Along with the sunshine there’s gotta be a little rain sometimes

C Am

When you take you gotta give so live and let live or let go

Am D7 G

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

When it's 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?

Bridge:

Am D7

So smile for a while and let's be jolly

Dm E7

Love shouldn't be so melancholy

Am Cm D7

Come along and share the good times while we can (Chorus)

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 (Bridge, Chorus)