Once upon a time I thought
“What’s the one thing I haven’t got?”
There’s not a single thing in this world I couldn’t buy
That’s when a gentleman caught my eye
Once or twice we went around
But now I’ll tell you the thing I’ve found
You shouldn’t make your move until you know the price
Because gentlemen aren’t nice
Just because I won’t agree to take his arm
And I occasionally forget his name
He likes to call inclemency what I call charm
But I know they’re all the same
I think I’ve realized my first mistake
When he cried that his heart would break
I would have thought that I was worth the sacrifice
But gentlemen aren’t nice
Just because I leave him all alone for days
And go about with others of his kind
He dares complain about my evil ways
And drive me out of my — out of my mind
What I relate is hard to bear
I only endure it so that I might spare you ladies
I’m not known for my good advice
But gentlemen aren’t
So agreeable
Love ain’t a paradise
And if I told you once, I won’t tell you twice
Gentlemen aren’t nice
Gentlemen aren’t nice
“What’s the one thing I haven’t got?”
There’s not a single thing in this world I couldn’t buy
That’s when a gentleman caught my eye
Once or twice we went around
But now I’ll tell you the thing I’ve found
You shouldn’t make your move until you know the price
Because gentlemen aren’t nice
Just because I won’t agree to take his arm
And I occasionally forget his name
He likes to call inclemency what I call charm
But I know they’re all the same
I think I’ve realized my first mistake
When he cried that his heart would break
I would have thought that I was worth the sacrifice
But gentlemen aren’t nice
Just because I leave him all alone for days
And go about with others of his kind
He dares complain about my evil ways
And drive me out of my — out of my mind
What I relate is hard to bear
I only endure it so that I might spare you ladies
I’m not known for my good advice
But gentlemen aren’t
So agreeable
Love ain’t a paradise
And if I told you once, I won’t tell you twice
Gentlemen aren’t nice
Gentlemen aren’t nice
As being torn to pieces by a loving hand
How do I save you from a voice so soft
As that which acquiesces to your each demand
How do I look upon the eyes I love
And send them down this path, I know it isn’t right
How do I make you realize my love
That there is more to fear than strangers in the night
Chorus:
How do I save you
How do I set you free
Behind the curtain waits a darker world
If I can’t make you leave
How can I save you from me
I think you’ve had enough experience
To differentiate between a heart of gold
And what you cradle in your gentle arms
Can you not recognize a soul already sold
How do I save you from the things I’ve been
I can’t deny the past, it’s written on my face
How do I save you from the mess you’re in
When I can’t make you leave this torturous embrace
Chorus