I had two husbands. I could have had three - But my Might-have-been Was too good for me. When you grow up the hard way Sometimes you don't know What's too good to be true, Just might be so. He worked all the time, Spend his money on me - First time in my life I had anything free. I said, Do you love me? Or am I mistaken? You're always giving And never taking. He said, Madam, I swear All I want is you. Right then and there I knowed we was through! I told him, Jackson, You better leave - You got some'n else Up your sleeve: When you think you got bread It's always a stone - Nobody loves nobody For yourself alone. He said, In me You've got no trust. I said, I don't want My heart to bust.
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Authorship:
- by Langston Hughes (1902 - 1967), "Madam and her Might-Have-Been" [author's text checked 1 time against a primary source]
Musical settings (art songs, Lieder, mélodies, (etc.), choral pieces, and other vocal works set to this text), listed by composer (not necessarily exhaustive):
- by Betty Roe (b. 1930), "Madam and her Might-Have-Been", published 1992 [ soprano and contrabass ], from Three Madam Songs, no. 3 [sung text checked 1 time]
Researcher for this text: Emily Ezust [Administrator]
This text was added to the website: 2009-10-15
Line count: 32
Word count: 143