(Joe South)

I beg you pardon I never promised you a rose garden
Along with the sunshine there's gotta be a little rain sometimes
When you take you gotta give so live and let live or let go
I beg you 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'd 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
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 you pardon I never promised you a rose garden
[ steel ]
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 water runs 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
I beg you pardon I never promised you a rose garden