Accentuate The Positive

Accentuate The Positive

music by Harold Arlen (left)
lyric by Johnny Mercer (upper right)

Gather 'round me, ev'rybody, gather 'round me while I preach some,
Feel a sermon comin' on me.
The topic will be sin and that's what I'm "a-gin."
If you wanna hear my story then settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewin' the attitude of doin' right.

You've got to accentuate the positive, elimynate the negative.
Latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mister Inbetween.

You've got to spread joy up to the maximum,
Bring gloom down to the minimum,
Have faith or pandemonium li'ble to walk upon the scene.

To illustrate my last remark, Jonah in the whale, Noah in the Ark,
What did they do just when ev'rything looked so dark?

"Man," they said, "We better accentuate the positive, elimynate the negative,
Latch on to the affirmative, don't mess with Mister Inbetween."
No! Don't mess with Mister Inbetween.