The Garden
M. T. Anderson Lyrics
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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
(Ah-ah-ah-ah)
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
Along with the sunshine
There's gotta be a little rain some time
I beg your pardon
The lyrics of M. T. Anderson's song "The Garden" express the idea that a happy life is not guaranteed to anyone. The singer apologizes for not being able to promise their partner a perfect life, symbolized by a rose garden. They acknowledge that life comes with both good times and bad times, and that you have to give to receive. The singer suggests that they could promise material things such as diamond rings, but knows that possessions cannot guarantee happiness. Furthermore, the singer acknowledges that love is not always easy and that one must be cautious in their approach to it. While they hope to enjoy happy moments with their partner, they cannot promise a life without difficulties.
The overall meaning of the song is rooted in the realization that happiness is something that cannot be guaranteed. Life has moments of joy and moments of sadness, and relationships are no exception. The singer acknowledges that while they cannot promise perfection, they will do their best to share happy moments with their partner along the way. The song’s use of the metaphor of a garden is a reference to the fact that gardens are beautiful but also require hard work to maintain, just like relationships.
Line by Line Meaning
I beg your pardon
I apologize for any expectation that I may have created
I never promised you a rose garden
I never guaranteed you an easy or perfect life
Along with the sunshine
Good times come with bad times as well
There's gotta be a little rain some time
Every life has its share of hardships and difficulties
When you take you gotta give so live and let live
We must learn to compromise and accept others' differences
Or let go oh-whoa-whoa-whoa
If compromising is not possible, it is better to move on
I could promise you things like big diamond rings
I could make superficial promises to win you over
But you don't find roses growin' on stalks of clover
Life is not always as perfect as we imagine it to be
So you better think it over
Consider things carefully before making decisions or expectations
Well if sweet-talkin' you could make it come true
If promises could magically come true, I would make them all
I would give you the world right now on a silver platter
I would give you everything you wish for if it were possible
But what would it matter
But giving you everything you desire might not ultimately make you happy
So smile for a while and let's be jolly
Enjoy life and its moments of happiness while they last
Love shouldn't be so melancholy
Love should be enjoyed and not cause sadness or pain
Come along and share the good times while we can
Let us appreciate and make the most of the happy times we have together
I could sing you a tune and promise you the moon
I could make grandiose promises to try to impress or win you over
But if that's what it takes to hold you
But if it's not real, it's not worth it
I'd just as soon let you go
I would rather let you go than to pretend to be someone I'm not
But there's one thing I want you to know
I want to be honest with you
You better look before you leap, still waters run deep
Think before you act; appearances can be deceiving
And there won't always be someone there to pull you out
You must learn to take care of yourself and be self-sufficient
And you know what I'm talkin' about
You understand what I mean
So smile for a while and let's be jolly
Take joy in the present moment
Love shouldn't be so melancholy
Love should be happy and fulfilling
Come along and share the good times while we can
Enjoy the moments of happiness that we have together
I beg your pardon
I apologize for any expectation that I may have created
I never promised you a rose garden
I never guaranteed you an easy or perfect life
Along with the sunshine
Good times come with bad times as well
There's gotta be a little rain some time
Every life has its share of hardships and difficulties
I beg your pardon
I apologize for any expectation that I may have created
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Joe South
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Joelle
I read this with my junior high students about 10 years ago. I can’t believe how accurate it is for today.
★MoonDoesArt★
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Mel T
I read this book (as an adult) when it first came out. I always recommend it and it become a more prescient by the day! I LOVE ❤ that you are turning us on to so much info — including fiction! Keep up the good work.