At the height of her career her songs were recorded by some of pop music’s most important stars: Mama Cass, Bobbie Gentry and Glen Campbell, Astrud Gilberto, Julie London, Jackie DeShannon, Carmen McCrae, The Lennon Sisters, and Claudine Longet. Her first song to be recorded was "Moon Ride" by the jazz singer Chris Connor in 1958, while she was still in high school. Later, there were two hit versions of the Margo Guryan-penned "Sunday Morning" released a year apart in the late 1960s — the first by Spanky And Our Gang, and the second by Oliver (who had previous success with "Good Morning Starshine" and "Jean").
Although she preferred writing songs that others could record and perform, in 1968 Guryan recorded and released an album entitled "Take a Picture". Although the success of this record back then was limited, it has since become a much sought-after collector’s item.
"Take A Picture" was reissued in 2000 by Franklin Castle Records. A collection of demos entitled 27 Demos is also available.
Please Believe Me
Margo Guryan Lyrics
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(A Watergate Love Story)
Words and Music by Margo Guryan
Please believe me, I didn?t know
Her huggin? and kissin? me would hurt you so
Please believe me, I never lied
To make you understand
I didn?t explain at first, but that was for you
You might have believed the worst, and the worst wasn?t true
I did, I did, I swear I did it all for you
When people started talking, I sent my friends to you
And they put out the story, she was just my Cousin Sue
You heard from hidden sources a story close to mine
Till they misspoke and told you Cousin Sue was eighty-nine
Please believe me, though what I say
May soon be inoperative, it?s true today
Please believe me, I?m very cool
At that point in time, as I recall I did it all for you
Then someone misinformed you: there was proof in black and white
But there aren?t any letters, Cousin Sue can?t even write
It was vicious innuendo that convinced you I had sinned
But I?d never leave you twisting slowly, slowly in the wind
Please believe me, I?m staying here
The fact that I?m true to you is perfectly clear
Please believe me, you?re just a kid
Therefore you must believe I did, I did it all for you
It was wrong for you to ask them at the Watergate Hotel
If Sue and I had been there, it was wrong for them to tell
I know you?ll understand it when the facts are yours to see
I swear I never touched her; she was making love to me
Please believe me, I love you a lot
I?m gonna take care of you, if you like it or not
Please believe me, you?ll never get rid
Of someone who did, he did, I swear, I did it all for you
© 1973(renewed) DARTMOOR MUSIC
Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Margo Guryan's "Please Believe Me" is a satirical take on the infamous Watergate scandal, where U.S. President Nixon's administration was found to have engaged in illegal activities for political gain. The song is sung from the perspective of a man who is caught in a love triangle and is desperately trying to explain his actions to convince his lover to stay with him. He denies having an affair with a woman named Cousin Sue, claiming that it was all a misunderstanding and that he did everything for the sake of their relationship.
The lyrics are full of clever wordplay and double entendres, with references to the Watergate Hotel and the language used by Nixon's team to justify their actions. The chorus of "Please believe me" is a nod to Nixon's repeated claims of innocence and his attempts to sway public opinion. However, the song's humorous tone and absurd storyline serve as a critique of the administration's lies and cover-ups.
Interestingly, "Please Believe Me" was written and recorded in 1973, the same year that Nixon resigned from office due to the Watergate scandal. The song was not widely known at the time and did not have any commercial success, but it gained a cult following in the decades that followed. It has been covered by several artists, including Karen Carpenter and the Apples in Stereo.
Line by Line Meaning
Please believe me, I didn't know
I had no idea my actions would hurt you
Her huggin' and kissin' me would hurt you so
I didn't realize that showing affection to someone would lead to you being hurt
Please believe me, I never lied
I'm telling the truth, I never lied to you
I only tried and tried and tried
I did everything I could to help you understand
To make you understand
My goal was to help you comprehend
I didn?t explain at first, but that was for you
Initially I left out some details, but it was to protect you from getting hurt
You might have believed the worst, and the worst wasn?t true
I was trying to prevent you from jumping to conclusions and believing something that wasn't true
I did, I did, I swear I did it all for you
Everything I did was for your benefit, I swear I did it all for you
When people started talking, I sent my friends to you
When people began to talk, I dispatched my friends to talk to you
And they put out the story, she was just my Cousin Sue
My friends told you that it was just my cousin Sue
You heard from hidden sources a story close to mine
You were told a version of the story that was similar to mine, but not completely accurate
Till they misspoke and told you Cousin Sue was eighty-nine
Until my friends misspoke and told you that Cousin Sue was eighty-nine years old
Please believe me, though what I say
Please trust me, even though what I say
May soon be inoperative, it's true today
My words may soon become invalid or inoperative, but they are true for today
Please believe me, I'm very cool
I'm calm and collected about the situation
At that point in time, as I recall I did it all for you
At that time, I remember doing everything for your benefit
Then someone misinformed you: there was proof in black and white
Someone gave you incorrect information, claiming that there was proof in writing
But there aren't any letters, Cousin Sue can't even write
However, there are actually no letters because Cousin Sue is unable to write
It was vicious innuendo that convinced you I had sinned
It was a cruel rumor that led you to believe that I had done something wrong
But I'd never leave you twisting slowly, slowly in the wind
I would never abandon you when you needed me the most
Please believe me, I'm staying here
I'm not going anywhere, I'm here for you
The fact that I'm true to you is perfectly clear
It's clear that I'm faithful to you
Please believe me, you're just a kid
I'm asking you to believe me because you're younger and less experienced
Therefore you must believe I did, I did it all for you
You need to believe that everything I did was for your benefit
It was wrong for you to ask them at the Watergate Hotel
You should not have asked people at the Watergate Hotel about me and Cousin Sue
If Sue and I had been there, it was wrong for them to tell
Even if we had been there, it would have been wrong for them to disclose that information
I know you'll understand it when the facts are yours to see
I believe you will comprehend the situation once you have all the information
I swear I never touched her; she was making love to me
I'm telling you the truth when I say I never touched her; she is the one who was being intimate with me
Please believe me, I love you a lot
I truly love you
I'm gonna take care of you, if you like it or not
Whether you want me to or not, I'm going to take care of you
Please believe me, you'll never get rid
You won't be able to get rid of me
Of someone who did, he did, I swear, I did it all for you
Someone who did everything for your benefit and swears that it's true
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MARGO GURYAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind