Released: October 26, 1989
Songwriter: LA Reid Babyface Daryl Simmons
Producer: LA Reid Babyface
[Intro]
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir— gir—
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Don't be, don't be
Don't be, don't be
I know, oh
[Verse 1]
Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
Is that I'm down for you and treat you right
You've got no cause to treat me cold as ice
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my love to you
You should be giving me your love, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel, 'cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh, uh, don't be cruel
[Verse 2]
Hey, yo, cutie what's up with this attitude?
I thought I was being real good to you
I treat you sweet, take you out at night
But you never say thanks, girl, that ain't right
I bought you diamonds even gave you pearls
I took you for a cruise all around the world (Ow)
I treat you high-post but you play me close
And if I put a drink up, you won't even toast
[Post-Chorus]
Gir— gir—, gir—, gir— gir—, gir— gir—
Gir— gir— gir—, gir— gir— gir—, gir—, gir—
[Verse 2]
Girl, I work so hard for you from nine to five
So you could have the finer things in life
Since you're the kind that's never satisfied
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my heart to you
You should be giving me your heart, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel, 'cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
[Verse 3]
We used to hang out tough, just kickin' around
We discovered a love that had never been found
You gave me your heart, I gave you my mind
But a true love affair we could never find
Although I want you bad I could let you go
'Cause there's a lot of girls out there that won't say no
Lo to the fact that I want you, Jackie
I want you more than human eyes can see
But you had to start illin', tryna make a killin'
Thought about the dollars I make and you were willin'
To be with me, Bobby B
But with a bad attitude I can't compete
Now you know my name, now I know your game
You wanna be with me you got to be the same way
That another girl would be, and if you wanna be with me
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
(Don't be, don't be)
Uh no, oh
[Bridge]
Girl, girl, girl
Gir—, gir—, gir— gir— gir—, girl, gir— gir—
Gir—, gir—, gir—, girl
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
(But a true love affair we could never find)
Oh, oh (Don't be, don't be)
Oh, oh
Don't be cruel
[Verse 4]
From fancy cars to diamond rings
I've just about given you everything
There's really not much I won't do for you
I bought you twelve yellow roses and candy too
I like to be up front and never play the back
But the way you treat me girl is like a heart attack
I'm a real troop trooper aiming for the top
And with you by my side, d-dollars I will clock
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my love to you
You should be giving me your love, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
It just ain't cool, hoo
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh, uh, don't be cruel (Oh, oh, oh)
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir—
Gir— gir— gir—
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Don't be, don't be
Don't be, don't be
I know, oh
[Verse 1]
Girl, the only thing that matters in my life
Is that I'm down for you and treat you right
You've got no cause to treat me cold as ice
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my love to you
You should be giving me your love, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel, 'cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh, uh, don't be cruel
[Verse 2]
Hey, yo, cutie what's up with this attitude?
I thought I was being real good to you
I treat you sweet, take you out at night
But you never say thanks, girl, that ain't right
I bought you diamonds even gave you pearls
I took you for a cruise all around the world (Ow)
I treat you high-post but you play me close
And if I put a drink up, you won't even toast
[Post-Chorus]
Gir— gir—, gir—, gir— gir—, gir— gir—
Gir— gir— gir—, gir— gir— gir—, gir—, gir—
[Verse 2]
Girl, I work so hard for you from nine to five
So you could have the finer things in life
Since you're the kind that's never satisfied
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my heart to you
You should be giving me your heart, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel, 'cause I would never be that cruel to you
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
[Verse 3]
We used to hang out tough, just kickin' around
We discovered a love that had never been found
You gave me your heart, I gave you my mind
But a true love affair we could never find
Although I want you bad I could let you go
'Cause there's a lot of girls out there that won't say no
Lo to the fact that I want you, Jackie
I want you more than human eyes can see
But you had to start illin', tryna make a killin'
Thought about the dollars I make and you were willin'
To be with me, Bobby B
But with a bad attitude I can't compete
Now you know my name, now I know your game
You wanna be with me you got to be the same way
That another girl would be, and if you wanna be with me
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
(Don't be, don't be)
Uh no, oh
[Bridge]
Girl, girl, girl
Gir—, gir—, gir— gir— gir—, girl, gir— gir—
Gir—, gir—, gir—, girl
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
(But a true love affair we could never find)
Oh, oh (Don't be, don't be)
Oh, oh
Don't be cruel
[Verse 4]
From fancy cars to diamond rings
I've just about given you everything
There's really not much I won't do for you
I bought you twelve yellow roses and candy too
I like to be up front and never play the back
But the way you treat me girl is like a heart attack
I'm a real troop trooper aiming for the top
And with you by my side, d-dollars I will clock
[Pre-Chorus]
Oh, oh, oh, girl, as long as I've been giving my love to you
You should be giving me your love, too, oh
But you just keep on acting just like a fool
You know it ain't cool
It just ain't cool, hoo
[Chorus]
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh, uh, don't be cruel (Oh, oh, oh)
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
'Cause I would never be that cruel to you
(Don't be, don't be, baby)
Uh, no, oh, uh, no
Don't be cruel (Don't be, don't be)
Girl, you need to change your attitude
Uh no, oh
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
- Dance!...Ya Know It! (1989)
- Every Little Step
- My Prerogative
- Roni
- On Our Own
- Don’t Be Cruel
- Humpin’ Around
- Rock Wit’cha
- Two Can Play That Game
- Something in Common
- Sunday Afternoon
- Get Out the Way
- I’ll Be Good To You
- Humpin’ Around (Video Edit)
- Been Around the World
- Humpin’ Around (No Rap)
- Rock With Ya
- Give It Up
- That’s the Way Love Is (Single Version)
- We’re Back
- All Day All Night
- Two Can Play That Game (K Klassic Radio Mix)
- Seventeen
- Get Away
- All Is Fair