Kurt Weill
Barbara Song
[POLLY]
I once used to think, in my innocent youth
And I once was as innocent as you
That someone someday might come my way
And then how would I know what best to do?
And if he'd got money
And seemed a nice chap
And his workday shirts as white as snow
And if he knew how to treat a girl with due respect
I'd have to tell him: No

That's where you must keep your head screwed on
And insist on going slow
Sure, the moon will shine throughout the night
Sure, the boat is on the river, tied up tight
That's as far as things can go
Oh, you can't lie back, you must stay cold at heart
Oh, you must not let your feelings show
So whenever you feel it might start
Ah, then your only answer's: No

The first one that came was a man of Kent
And all that a man ought to be
The second one owned three ships down at Wapping
The third was crazy about me
And as they'd got money
And all seemed nice chaps
And their workday shirts as white as snow
And as they knew how to treat a girl with due respect
Each time I told them: No
That's where I still kept my head screwed on
And I chose to take it slow
Sure, the moon could shine throughout the night
Sure, the boat was on the river, tied up tight
That's as far as things could go
Oh, you can't lie back, you must stay cold at heart
Oh, you must not let your feelings show
So whenever you feel it might start
Ah, then your only answer's: No

But then one day, and that day was blue
Came someone who didn't ask at all
And he went and hung his hat on the nail in my little attic
And what happened I can't quite recall
And as he'd got no money
And was not a nice chap
And his Sunday shirts, even, not like snow
And as he'd no idea of treating a girl with due respect
I could not tell him: No

That's the time my head was not screwed on
And to hell with going slow
Oh, the moon was shining clear and bright
Oh, the boat kept drifting downstream all that night
That was how it simply had to go
Yes, you must lie back, you can't stay cold at heart
In the end you have to let your feelings show
So the moment you know it must start
Ah, then's no time for saying: No