Uploaded November 2012 | Updated September 2026, 7 minutes ago

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Lead vocals by G.C. Cameron
Background vocals by Bobby Smith, Pervis Jackson, Henry Fambrough and Billy Henderson
Instrumentation by The Funk Brothers
Arranged by Paul Riser


It's a shame, the way you mess around with your man
It's a shame, the way you hurt me
It's a shame, the way you mess around with your man
I'm sitting all alone by the telephone
Waiting for your call, when you don't call at all

It's a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man
It's a shame (shame), the way you play with my emotions
It's a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man
You're like a child at play on a sunny day
But you play with love, and then you throw it away

Why do you use me, try to confuse me
How can you stand to be so cruel
Why don't you free me from this prison
Where I serve my time as your fool

It's a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man
It's a shame (shame), the way you hurt me
It's a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man
I try to stay with you, show you love so true
But you won't appreciate the love we try to make

Oh, it's a, got to be a shame

Why do you use me, try to confuse me
How can you stand to be so cruel
Why don't you free me from this prison
Where I serve my time as your fool

Got to be a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man
Oh, it's a shame (shame), the way you hurt me
Oh, it's a shame (shame)
The way you mess around with your man

You've got my heart in chains, and I must complain
I just can't be content, oh, look at where it's at

(Shame) It's a shame (shame)
It's a shame (shame), the way you hurt me
(Shame) Got to, got to, got to be a shame....