You should have Loved me then

"You Should’ve Loved Me Then" I wore that red dress just for you You looked, you smiled, and then you flew I waited long, I waited still But darling, you just chased the thrill You played me sweet on Sundays slow But Monday came, and you’d let go You loved me like a passing rain Then blamed me when you felt the strain --- Now don’t you dare come knockin’ With roses in your hand You had your chance, you broke it You wouldn’t understand You say you miss my perfume The way I held your shame But baby, you should’ve loved me then Not now, when it’s too late to change --- I cried a river in my sheets While you were runnin’ city streets You kissed me soft, then shut me out And filled your nights with wine and doubt I kept your picture by my bed Till I grew tired of what we had A woman breaks, but doesn’t beg She learns to dance on her own legs --- So don’t you say you’re sorry Don’t tremble in your tone I taught you love, I gave you home And still, I slept alone You say you feel me in the dark But that won’t ease the pain ’Cause baby, you should’ve loved me then Not now, when only ghosts remain There’s no more letters, no more sighs I packed my dreams in lullabies And now the only thing that’s true Is I survived the loss of you So play your blues, and light your smoke Tell all your friends it was a joke But I won’t cry, and I won’t bend I’m not the fool I was back then I’ve learned to live with no pretend And baby… You should’ve loved me then [Outro – slow piano fade, spoken like a last breath:] You had a diamond in your hand… and you dropped it in the dark.