of all the things to do to a friend you hurt them by your tongue relationships will fatally end without a knife or gun waitin till you re back behind them then you put them down how could you be talkin bout them when they re not around chorus don t be talkin bout friends when they re not around don t be cuttin their hearts and puttin them down don t be temptin the lord and makin him frown don t be talkin bout your friends when they re not around how all the gossip falls on our ears it doesn t make much sense how we can cause the innocent tears not helping their defense listening we all should fear it listening is wrong if there were no one to hear it it could not go on repeat chorus too many friendships have been broken by just a simple careless word spoken repeat chorus don t be talkin down throwin down cuttin down friends why not treat them more like friends don t be saying lots of things overlook the hurt it brings don t be talkin bout your friends scriptural reference a perverse man stirs up dissention and a gossip separates close friends proverbs 16 28