Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
If your answer's kind
If there's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

Should've known better, yeah

Oh-oh-oh, oh, oh
Mm-mm

I feel so unsure
As I take your hand and lead you to the dance floor
As the music dies
Something in your eyes
Calls to mind a silver screen
And all its sad goodbyes

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

Time can never mend
The careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind
If your answer's kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend (should've known better, yeah)
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

Never without your love

Tonight the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose this crowd
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say

We could have been so good together
We could have lived this dance forever
But now who's gonna dance with me?
Please stay

And I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool
I should've known better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you, oh

(Now that you're gone) now that you're gone
(Now that you're gone) was what I did so wrong, so wrong
That you had to leave me alone?


Lyrics submitted by numb, edited by Ergg

Careless Whisper [Extended Mix] Lyrics as written by George Michael Andrew J. Ridgeley

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.

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Careless Whisper song meanings
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13 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    This song makes me vision a man who is not necessarily dancing with a woman but it seem like a metaphor for their relationship. He fell for this girl who used to be just a friend then he hurt her. He can barely stand to look in her eyes knowing what he's done and when he says he'll never dance with anyone else that way i think he means he's learned his lesson not to hurt someone or that he's not capable of loving someone that much after losing her.

    ttishy15on February 03, 2010   Link
  • +1
    Memory

    This song was about my Sister. Before he was famous he lived in a place called "Butte Montana. He and my sister where like soul mates, my sister had just gotten out of a very bad relationship and was pregnant by another man, but he was willing to accept that so he lived with us for a time, but left my sister when he was found with another woman. He left unannounced and really broke my sisters heart so badly that she had a very bad nervous breakdown and had to seek help from professionals. Later when he became famous and wanted to try to work things out with my sister but she was so hurt from her abandoning him that she just couldn't.

    trapwhiskon November 10, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    this song rules, and so does Wham

    Andrewonfireon December 17, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Barely anyone has commented on this song! This is my favourite Wham song. It's a really good song.

    abscondingon December 27, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I heard a beautiful version done by Rufus Wainwright and Ben Folds

    dd59714on March 01, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    K-nuxXx: George Michael did of course use this song in his solo career but it was originally a Wham song.

    It was on one of their albums with an extended begining(I don't know which album it was though) and it was also on the album called "The Final"

    CharlieLoveon April 17, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    So it was. I retract my earlier statement. Oh and the album u culdn't think of was "Make it Big"

    K-nuxXxon April 29, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song was originally a Wham song, and it was actually co-written by Andrew Ridgley (the other half of the band). But since record companies wanted to push for a solo career for George Michael, the song was credited to "Wham! Featuring George Michael."

    Also, the guy who did the sax solo is Steve Gregory.

    Fluffyinsanityon December 31, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright's version is amazing.

    waitingonyouon February 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Where have y'all heard the Ben Folds and Rufus Wainwright versions?

    beef.stewieon February 05, 2006   Link

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