Do Nothin' Till You Hear from Me
Duke Ellington Ray Brown Lyrics

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Someone told someone and someone told you
But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
Since everyone spread the story
With his own little personal touch

Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream

Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill
But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will
Do nothin' till you hear from me

Do nothin' till you hear from me
Pay no attention to what's said
Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
Is over my head
Do nothin' till you hear from me
At least consider our romance
If you should take the word of others you've heard
I haven't a chance
True I've been seen with someone new
But does that mean that I'm untrue
When we're apart the words in my heart
Reveal how I feel about you
Some kiss may cloud my memory
And other arms may hold a thrill

But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
And you never will

Overall Meaning

The song "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" by Duke Ellington and Louis Armstrong speaks to the theme of gossip and the importance of listening to one's own intuition before believing hearsay from others. The lyrics suggest that although others may spread stories about someone or something, it is important to not jump to conclusions without first hearing the truth from the source. The repetition of the phrase "Do nothin' till you hear from me" emphasizes this point and encourages the listener to give the benefit of the doubt and not allow rumors to affect their judgment.

Furthermore, the song acknowledges that there may be moments of temptation or misunderstanding, such as being seen with someone new, but implores the listener to trust in the strength of their relationship and not give in to baseless accusations or fleeting desires. The lyrics reveal the singer's vulnerability and their fear of losing their partner to the power of gossip, yet their unwavering commitment to their love.

Overall, "Do Nothin' Till You Hear From Me" serves as a reminder to not let outside noise cloud our judgment and to rely on our own intuition and communication with others in relationships. It also highlights the destructive nature of gossip and encourages the listener to rise above it.

Line by Line Meaning

Someone told someone and someone told you
The rumor has spread through various people before reaching you.

But they wouldn't hurt you, not much
The people spreading the rumor probably did not have any malicious intent.

With his own little personal touch
Each person added their own spin to the story they heard.

Do nothin' till you hear from me
Don't make any decisions or judgements until you hear directly from me.

Pay no attention to what's said
Don't let rumors or gossip affect your perception of me or our relationship.

Why people tear the seam of anyone's dream
The reasons why people enjoy spreading rumors and interfering with others' lives are beyond my understanding.

Is over my head
I don't get it and I don't want to try.

At least consider our romance
Please give our relationship a fair chance and don't let rumors ruin it.

If you should take the word of others you've heard
If you choose to believe what others are saying about me, without hearing my side of the story, it's not going to end well.

I haven't a chance
If you choose to believe the rumors instead of giving me the benefit of the doubt, our relationship won't work out.

True I've been seen with someone new
Yes, I've been seen with someone else, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm being unfaithful.

But does that mean that I'm untrue
Just because I've been seen with someone else, doesn't automatically make me disloyal.

When we're apart the words in my heart
When we're not together, my feelings for you are still strong.

Reveal how I feel about you
The things I say and do when we're apart show how much I care about you.

Some kiss may cloud my memory
Maybe a fleeting moment with someone else could make me forget how much I love you.

And other arms may hold a thrill
Yes, I might have a moment of excitement with someone else, but it can't compare to my love for you.

But please do nothin' till you hear it from me
Before you make any assumptions about my actions, please talk to me directly.

And you never will
If you trust me and give me a chance to explain myself, you will never hear anything bad about me from someone else.

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, MUSIC SALES CORPORATION
Written by: DUKE ELLINGTON, BOB RUSSELL

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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