Once Too Often

Ella Fitzgerald

When a maiden is wooed by a man
His advances she frequently spurns
In her anger one day
She may send him away
Then she’s anxious until he returns
Until he returns
She provokes him as much as she can
But she likes him to still persevere
Oh, it’s very remiss
And the danger is this
She may do it too often, I fear
She may do it too often, I fear
Once too often
Time after time
Doubtless his heart will soften
But the day may arrive
When she finds out, alack
That her lover will leave her
And never come back
She’s refused him just once too often

Then that maiden will sit there and sigh
For the lesson is bitter indeed
Now she’s quite wide awake
She can see her mistake
And for pardon she’s longing to plead
She’s longing to plead
She has let all her chances pass by
And the moral may clearly be seen
For whoever you are
It is better by far
If you always will say what you mean
If you always will say what you mean
Once too often
Time after time
Doubtless his heart will soften
But the day may arrive
When she finds out, alack
That her lover will leave her
And never come back
She’s refused him just once too often
Once too often