(I Never Promised You A) Rose Garden

Words & Music:

Joe South

 

CHORUS:

C           Dm     G                      C

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

Dm                       G                          C

Along with the sunshine, there's gotta be a little rain some time.

F                                                          Dm

When you take, you gotta give; so live and let live or let go.

           G                             C

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

 

C

I could promise you things like big diamond rings,

                                                Dm

But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover.

                        G

So, you better think it over.

         C

Well, if sweet-talkin' you could make it come true,

                                                 Dm

I would give you the world right now on a silver platter.

                   G

But, what would it matter?

 

PRE-CHORUS:

    Dm                    G               Gm                   A

So, smile for a while and let's be jolly; love shouldn't be so melancholy.

Dm                                           Fm  G

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 talkin' about.

 

PRE-CHORUS:

 

CHORUS:  [2x and out]