Lyrics of
I Was Only Joking

I Was Only Joking by Rod Stewart is a reflective song about the regrets and hindsight of his youth and the careless way he treated his relationships and opportunities. Its a contemplation on growing up and acknowledging the mistakes of the past.

Ever since I was a kid at school
I messed around with all the rules
Apologised then realised I'm not different after all
Me and the boys thought we had it sussed, Valentinos, all of us
My dad said we looked ridiculous but boy, we broke some hearts
In and out of jobs, runnin' free, waging war with society
Dumb, blank faces stare back at me but nothing ever changed
Promises made in the heat of the night, creepin' home before it got too light
I wasted all that precious time and blamed it on the wine

I was only jo-king my dear (my dear)
Looking for a way to hide my fear (my fear)
What kind of fo-ol was I (was I)
I could never win (never win) Riff

Never found a compromise, collected lovers like butterflies
Illusions of that grand first prize are slowly wearin' thin
Susie, baby, you were good to me, givin' love unselfishly
But you took it all too seriously
I guess it had to end

I was only jo-king my dear (my dear)
Looking for a way to hide my fear (my fear)
What kind of fo-ol was I (was I)
I could never win (never win) Riff


Now you ask me if I'm sincere, that's the question that I always fear
Verse seven is never clear but I'll tell you what you wanna hear
I try to give you all you want but givin' love is not my strongest point
If that's the case it's pointless goin' on, I'd rather be alone

'Cause what I'm doin' must be wrong, pourin' my heart out in a song
Owning up for prosperity, for the whole damn world to see
Quietly now while I turn a page, Act One is over without costume change
The principal would like to leave the stage
The crowd don't understand