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 should I know what’s best to do? 
And if he’d got money 
And seemed a nice chap 
And his workday shirts were 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.
Oh, whenever you feel it might start 
Ah, then your only answer’s: No. 


The first one that came was man of Kent 
And all that a man ought to be. 
The second one owned three ships down at Wapping 
And the third was crazy about me, 
And as they’d got money 
And all seemed nice chaps 
And their workday shirts were 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. 
Oh, 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, were 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 
Oh, the moment you know it must start 
Ah, then’s no time for saying: No.