Don't Tell Mama
Cabaret Lyrics


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[EMCEE]
And now, meine Damen und Herren... Mesdames et
Messieurs... Ladies and Gentlemen- The Kit Kat Klub
Is proud to present a most talented young lady from
England. Yes- England! I give you- and don't forget
To give her back when you're finished with her- the
Toast of Mayfair... Fraulein Sally Bowles!!
[SALLY]
Mama
Thinks I'm living in a convent,
A secluded little convent
In the southern part of France.

Mama
Doesn't even have an inkling
That I'm working in a Nightclub
In a pair of Lacy pants.
So please, sir.
If you run into my Mama,
Don't reveal my indiscretion,
Give a working girl a chance.

Hush up,
Don't tell Mama,
Shush up,
Don't tell Mama...
Don't tell Mama,
Whatever you do.
If you had a secret,
You bet I would keep it.
I would never tell on you.
I'm breaking every promise
That I gave her,
So won't you kindly do a girl
A great big favor?
And please, my sweet patater,
Keep this from the Mater,
Though my dance
Is not against the law.

You can tell my Papa, that's all right,
'Cause he comes in here every night,
But don't tell Mama what you saw!

[ALL]
Mama
Thinks I'm on a tour of Europe,
With a couple of my school chums
And a lady chaperone.

Mama
Doesn't even have an inling
That I left them all in Antwerp
And I'm touring on my own.

So please, Sir
If you run into my Mama
Don't reveal my indiscretion.

[SALLY]
Just leave well enough alone.

Hush up,

[ALL]
Don't tell Mama.

[SALLY]
Shush up,

[ALL]
Don't tell Mama;
Don't tell Mama
Whatever you do.

[SALLY]
If you had a secret,
You bet I would keep it.

[ALL]
I would never tell on you.
You wouldn't want to get me
In a pickle,

[SALLY]
And have her go and cut me off
Without a nickel.

[ALL]
So let's trust one another,
Keep this from my mother,
Though I'm still as pure as mountain snow.

[SALLY]
You can tell my Uncle
Here and now
'Cause he's my agent anyhow,

[KIT KAT GIRLS]
But don't tell Mama what you know.

[SALLY]
You can tell my brother,
That ain't grim
'Cause if her squeals on me
I'll squeal on him,

[ALL]
But don't tell Mama, bitte
Don't tell Mama, please, Sir.
Don't tell Mama, what you know.

[GIRLS]
Sssh!
Sssh!

[SALLY]




If you see my, Mummy,
Mum's the word!

Overall Meaning

The song "Don't Tell Mama" is from the musical Cabaret and is sung by Sally Bowles, a rising performer at the Kit Kat Klub. In the song, Sally reveals that her mother believes she's living in a convent in the southern part of France, while in reality, she's working in a nightclub in a pair of lacy pants. She pleads with anyone who may encounter her mother to keep her secret and not reveal her indiscretion.


The lyrics are an expression of the desire to keep up appearances and protect one's reputation, even if it means living a double life. Sally is afraid that if her mother finds out the truth, she'll be disappointed and may cut her off financially. The song is also reflective of the societal pressure to appear virtuous and live up to certain expectations, especially in conservative circles.


The playful nature of the song is juxtaposed with the underlying tension and anxiety that Sally feels. The audience is reminded that even in the glamorous world of show business, one must often make sacrifices and put on a facade to maintain a certain image.


Line by Line Meaning

Mama Thinks I'm living in a convent, A secluded little convent In the southern part of France.
Sally's mother believes that she is living in a convent in Southern France, but in reality she is working at a Nightclub with lacy pants.


Mama Doesn't even have an inkling That I'm working in a Nightclub In a pair of Lacy pants.
Sally's mother has no idea that she is working at a Nightclub in lacy pants.


So please, sir. If you run into my Mama, Don't reveal my indiscretion, Give a working girl a chance.
If you happen to meet Sally's mother, please do not reveal her secret and give her a chance to continue working.


Hush up, Don't tell Mama, Shush up, Don't tell Mama...
Please keep it a secret and don't tell Sally's mother about her current lifestyle.


If you had a secret, You bet I would keep it. I would never tell on you.
Sally promises to keep your secrets if you keep hers.


So won't you kindly do a girl A great big favor? And please, my sweet patater, Keep this from the Mater,
Sally kindly asks you to keep her situation a secret from her mother.


You can tell my Papa, that's all right, 'Cause he comes in here every night, But don't tell Mama what you saw!
Sally's father can be told about her situation but please do not tell her mother.


Mama Thinks I'm on a tour of Europe, With a couple of my school chums And a lady chaperone.
Sally's mother believes that Sally is on a tour of Europe with some friends and a lady chaperone, but Sally actually left them behind in Antwerp and is now traveling alone.


If you had a secret, You bet I would keep it. I would never tell on you. You wouldn't want to get me In a pickle,
Sally reaffirms her promise of never revealing any secrets and asks you to do the same to not get into any trouble.


So let's trust one another, Keep this from my mother, Though I'm still as pure as mountain snow.
Both Sally and you need to trust each other and keep this secret from her mother, even though Sally is still a pure person.


You can tell my Uncle Here and now 'Cause he's my agent anyhow, But don't tell Mama what you know.
Sally's uncle, who is also her agent, can be informed about this situation but please do not inform her mother.


You can tell my brother, That ain't grim 'Cause if her squeals on me I'll squeal on him,
Sally's brother can be informed of her situation as she can use that against him if he tells her mother about it.


But don't tell Mama, bitte Don't tell Mama, please, Sir. Don't tell Mama, what you know.
Please do not tell Sally's mother about her current situation.


If you see my, Mummy, Mum's the word!
If you come across Sally's mother, please do not say anything about Sally's current lifestyle.




Contributed by Alice P. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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