One hot night in the middle of June In a Lousiana Bayou by the light of the moon By the bank of a river, on an old dead log Sat a shiny black scorpion and a big green frog Now the water was deep and the river was wide And the Scorpion had commitments on the opposite side She said Hey Mr Froggy I'd be mighty obliged If I could hop on your back and you could give me a ride Shoulda known Shoulda known Well my friends oh, see me crying And all they can say is shoulda known Well the frog said I'd love to but there's just one thing You got a bad reputation for a terrible sting If I take you cross the River like you're askin me to How do I know you won't sting me when the journey is through The scorpion said "Man don't believe the hype Don't you fall for that tired old stereotype" "If you do me this favor and deliver me there I will tell you a little secret only scorpions share" Shoulda known Shoulda known Well my friends oh see me crying And all they can say is Shoulda known So our friends started out across the perilous flood And the scorpion weighed more than the frog thought she would But the froggy was strong and he knew he'd prevail Til he felt the deadly point of that scorpions tail So the water swept over the unfortunate pair And the froggy cried out with the last of his air He said "Why did you do it?, now you're goin' down too!" Said the Scorpion "it's my nature, that's what scorpions do" You shoulda known You shoulda known Well my friends oh see me crying And all they can say is You shoulda known, alright ! Well I met her downtown in a bleecker street bar Serenading some drunks for the tips in a jar Well I knew her reputation from the old grapevine But she sounded so sweet and she looked so fine Well she shot me a smile and she bought me a beer And she told the saddest story that you ever will hear My judgement dissolved in a bottle wine I was reading her lips and she was reading my mind Shoulda known I shoulda known Well my friends oh see me crying And all they can say is Shoulda known If the end of the story isn't perfectly plain Know that Happy ever after ain't the final refrain But my time's getting short and the story is long But suffice it to say, you find me singin this song Shoulda known I shoulda known Well my friends oh see me crying And all they can say is Shoulda known Well my friends oh see me crying And all they can say is Shoulda known