PLAY AROUND^©

Album's version

You've got all the toys
That money can buy
But still you come to me like a little boy
So unsatisfied
Well I ain't casting stones
I don't want apologies
You can play around
But don't you play around me

I'm gonna call it quits
Yeah, baby, I've had enough
Don't want to play cool
I don't want to play tough
Oh, all of the best things
In life, they are still free
Well, you can play around
But don't you play around me

I'm not gonna walk (I'm not gonna walk)
Up on your high wire
I'm not gonna jump (I'm not gonna jump)
Through your little hoops of fire
I'm not gonna dance (I'm not gonna dance)
Like a puppet on a string, oh
Oh, no, not me

This is no day of judgment, I'm
Not waiting for you to confess
Not waiting for the proud to someday fall
Over humble to be blessed
I'm not waiting for anything
Yeah, I'm just walking free
Well, you can play around
But don't you play around me
Yeah, you can play around
Yeah, don't you play around me

Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh, ooh
Ooh, ooh

Page last updated: 12 Mar 2008

Written by Patti Scialfa, PLAY AROUND is from her third album Play It As It Lays which she released on 04 Sep 2007 on Columbia Records.

Bruce Springsteen contributes in the studio recording of five of the album's tracks -- he plays Hammond B3 organ on PLAY AROUND. He is also credited for some photography on the album's artwork.

The above lyrics are for the Play It As It Lays album's version of PLAY AROUND. As far as it's known, Springsteen has never performed this song live.

Thanks Jake (ol'catfishinthelake from BTX and Greasy Lake) for the help.

Patti Scialfa notes about the song:

I don't mean to get political, but I think women have always been asked to infantilize themselves in some way in society. That's one reason the blues and soul music are so wonderful. Those women always had a long list of complaints and they could belt them out in a very beautiful and powerful way. Now that I'm 53, I've got to find a way to write inside my skin and have it be really timely to me. So for me going more into the R&B and rhythmic music direction was a really good place to go. I love those songs where women just lay down the law, and say you can walk there, but you can't walk there.