(Words and Music 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 some time 
When you take you gotta give so live and let live 
Or let go oh-whoa-whoa-whoa 
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 growin´ on stalks of clover 
So you better think it over 
Well if sweet-talkin´ 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 some time 

(brief instrumental interlude) 

I beg your pardon 
I never promised you a rose garden 

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 
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 
FADE 
Along with the sunshine 
There´s gotta be a little rain some time