"Barbara Song" lyrics - CECILE MCLORIN SALVANT

I used to believe, in the days I was pure
And I once was as pure as you used to be
My wonderful someone would come to me someday
And then, it would all depend on me
If he's a rich man, if he's a nice man
And if his workday shirt is just as white as snow
And if he knows how to treat me like a lady
I'd have to tell him "No"

[Pre-Chorus:]
Chin up high, keep your powder dry
And insist on going slow
Look, the moon is shining clear and bright
Keep that little rowboat tied up nice and tight
That's as far as it can go

[Chorus:]
No, you can't lie back, you must stay cold at heart
And you mustn't let your feelings show
And the moment you think it might start
Well then, your only answer is "No"

The first to appear was a young man from New York
He was all that a man ought to be
The second one was older, and bolder, but sweet
And the third one was crazy about me
Since they were rich men, since they were nice men
And since their workday shirts were just as white as snow
And since they knew how to treat me a girl with due respect
Each time I told them, "No"

[Pre-Chorus:]
Chin up high, keep my powder dry
And I insisted on going slow
Still the moon was shining clear and bright
I kept my little rowboat tied up nice and tight
That's as far as it would go

[Chorus:]
No, you can't lie back, you must stay cold at heart
And you mustn't let your feelings show
And the moment you think it might start
Well then, your only answer is "Sorry"

But then one day, and that day was blue
Came someone who didn't ask at all
He went and he hung his hat on a nail in my little attic
And what happened after that, I can't quite recall
Since he had no money, was not a nice man
And since even his Sunday shirt was not as white as snow
And since God knows he didn't treat me like a lady
I could not tell him "No"

[Pre-Chorus:]
Chin up high? My chin was on the floor
And to hell with going slow
Still the moon was shining clear and bright
My little rowboat was drifting downstream all that night
That was how it had to go

[Chorus:]
So you must lie back, but you stay cold at heart
And you still don't let your feelings show
And the moment you wish it would stop
Well, there's no time for saying "No"