Don't Be Cruel
Bobby Brown Lyrics


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Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
Is that I'm down for you and treat you right
You've got no call to treat me cold as ice
Oh oh, girl
As long as I've been givin' my love to you
You should be givin' me your love, too
But you just keep on actin' just like a fool
You know it ain't cool

Uh don't be cruel
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh no, oh oh, no
Uh don't be cruel
Uh girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
Uh don't be cruel

Hey yo' Kimmy what's up with this attitude
I thought I was bein' real good to you
I treat you sweet, take you out at night
But you never say thanks girl that ain't right
I bought you diamonds even gave you pearls
I took you for a cruise all around the world
I treat you high post but you play me close
If I want to drink up you won't even toast

Girl, I work so hard for you from 9 to 5
So you could have the finer things in life
Since you're the kind that's never satisfied
Oh oh, girl
As long as I've been givin' my heart to you
You should be givin' me your heart, too
But you just keep on actin' just like a fool
You know it ain't cool

Uh don't be cruel
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh no, oh oh, no
Uh don't be cruel
Uh girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
Uh don't be cruel

From fancy cars to diamond rings
I've just about given you everything
There's really not much I won't do for you
I bought you 12 yellow roses and candy, too
I like be up front and never play the back
But the way you treat me girl is like a heart attack
I'm real troop trooper and with all the times
That you were by my side diggin' dollars outta crock

Oh oh, girl
As long as I've been givin' my love to you
You should be givin' me your love, too
But you just keep on actin' just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
It just ain't cool!

Ow! Don't be cruel

Uh, uh, uh
Uh, uh, uh

We used to hang out tough just kickin' around
We discovered a love that had never been found
You gave me your heart I gave you my mind
But a true love affair we could never find
Although I want you bad I could let you go
'Cause there's a lot of girls out there that won't say no
But due to fact that I want you, Jackie
I want you more than human eyes can see
But you had to start givin', tryin' to make a killin'
Thought about the dollars I make and you were willin'
To be with me Bobby B., but with a bad attitude I can't compete
Now you know my name, now I know your game
You want to be with me you got to be the same way
That another girl would be and if you want to be with me

Uh don't be cruel
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh no, oh oh, no
Uh don't be cruel
Uh girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
Uh don't be cruel

'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh no, oh oh, no
Uh don't be cruel
Uh girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh

We used to hang out tough just kickin' around
We discovered a love that had never been found
You gave me your heart I gave you my mind
But a true love affair we could never find
Although I want you bad I could let you go
'Cause there's a lot of girls out there that won't say no
But due to fact that I want you, Jackie
I want you more than human eyes can see
But you had to start givin', tryin' to make a killin'
Thought about the dollars I make and you were willin'
To be with me Bobby B., but with a bad attitude I can't compete
Now you know my name, now I know your game
You want to be with me you got to be the same way
That another girl would be and if you want to be with me

Uh don't be cruel
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh no, oh oh, no
Uh don't be cruel
Uh girl, you need to change your attitude




Uh no, oh
Uh don't be cruel

Overall Meaning

In Bobby Brown's song "Don't Be Cruel," the lyrics reflect his frustration with his partner's disrespectful behavior towards him, despite his dedication and efforts towards their relationship. He expresses that the only thing that matters to him is treating her right, but she treats him cold and acts foolishly. Despite all the efforts he has made for her, she never reciprocates his love, which makes him feel upset and disappointed. Through the lyrics, the artist is asking his partner to change her attitude and treat him right if she wants to be with him.


The lyrics showcase the struggle of relationships where one person is more devoted than the other. It also reflects the importance of communicating one's needs and not settling for less than what one deserves in a relationship. Brown's frustration with his partner's attitude shows that love isn't always enough for a successful relationship. Both parties must put in the effort and treat each other respectfully.


Line by Line Meaning

Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
You are the most important thing to me in my life.


Is that I'm down for you and treat you right
I am dedicated to you and treat you well.


You've got no call to treat me cold as ice
You should not treat me harshly or ignore me.


Oh oh, girl
I am emotional and upset about how you are treating me.


As long as I've been givin' my love to you
I have been giving you my love for a long time.


You should be givin' me your love, too
You should also give me your love in return.


But you just keep on actin' just like a fool
You keep behaving foolishly in our relationship.


You know it ain't cool
Your behavior is not acceptable or appropriate.


Uh don't be cruel
Please don't be cruel to me.


'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
I would never treat you cruelly, so I expect the same from you.


Uh no, oh oh, no
I am expressing my disappointment and dislike of your behavior.


Uh girl, you need to change your attitude
Your attitude needs to change for our relationship to work.


Uh no, oh
I am upset and frustrated with you.


Hey yo' Kimmy what's up with this attitude
I am questioning your negative attitude towards me.


I thought I was bein' real good to you
I thought I was treating you well in our relationship.


I treat you sweet, take you out at night
I treat you kindly and take you out on dates at night.


But you never say thanks girl that ain't right
You never show appreciation for what I do, and that is not fair.


I bought you diamonds even gave you pearls
I have given you expensive gifts like diamonds and pearls.


I took you for a cruise all around the world
I have taken you on a luxurious trip around the world.


I treat you high post but you play me close
I treat you like a queen but you are always suspicious of me or holding back.


If I want to drink up you won't even toast
If I want to have a drink, you won't even join me to toast.


Girl, I work so hard for you from 9 to 5
I work hard to provide for you from 9 to 5 every day.


So you could have the finer things in life
I work hard so that you can enjoy a luxurious lifestyle.


Since you're the kind that's never satisfied
You are always wanting more and never satisfied.


As long as I've been givin' my heart to you
I have given you my heart for a long time.


You should be givin' me your heart, too
You should also give me your heart in return.


From fancy cars to diamond rings
I have given you everything from fancy cars to diamond rings.


I've just about given you everything
I have given you almost everything I can.


There's really not much I won't do for you
There is not much I wouldn't do for you.


I bought you 12 yellow roses and candy, too
I even bought you a bouquet of 12 yellow roses and candy.


I like be up front and never play the back
I am honest and upfront in our relationship and do not play games with you.


But the way you treat me girl is like a heart attack
I am hurt and shocked by the way you treat me in our relationship.


I'm real troop trooper and with all the times
I am a dedicated and hardworking person in our relationship.


That you were by my side diggin' dollars outta crock
You were with me when I was struggling financially.


It just ain't cool!
Your behavior is not cool or acceptable.


Ow! Don't be cruel
Please don't be cruel to me.


Uh, uh, uh
I am emphasizing how serious I am about this issue.


We used to hang out tough just kickin' around
We used to have fun just hanging out together.


We discovered a love that had never been found
We found a rare and special love between us.


You gave me your heart I gave you my mind
We both gave each other our hearts and minds in our relationship.


But a true love affair we could never find
Unfortunately, our love was not meant to last.


Although I want you bad I could let you go
Even though I still desire you, I could let you go if necessary.


'Cause there's a lot of girls out there that won't say no
There are many other girls who would be interested in me.


But due to fact that I want you, Jackie
Because I want you specifically, Jackie,


I want you more than human eyes can see
My desire for you is very strong and deep.


But you had to start givin', tryin' to make a killin'
However, you started to become greedy and tried to take advantage of me.


Thought about the dollars I make and you were willin'
You only cared about the money I could provide for you, and were willing to do anything to get it.


To be with me Bobby B., but with a bad attitude I can't compete
You wanted to be with me, Bobby B., but I cannot compete with your bad attitude.


Now you know my name, now I know your game
Now that we have spent time together, I understand what you are really trying to do.


You want to be with me you got to be the same way
If you want to be in a relationship with me, you need to act the same way as me.


That another girl would be and if you want to be with me
You should act like how you would treat another girl if you want to be in a relationship with me.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, WORDS & MUSIC A DIV OF BIG DEAL MUSIC LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ANTONIO REID, KENNETH BABYFACE EDMONDS, DARYL SIMMONS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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