One Note Samba
Ella Fitzgerald Lyrics
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A little samba
Built upon
A single note
Other notes
Are sure to follow
But the root
Is still that note
Is the consequence
Of the one
We've just
Been through
As I'm bound to be
The unavoidable
Consequence of you
There's so many people
Who can talk
And talk and talk
And just say nothing
Or nearly nothing
I have used up
All the scale
I know
And at the end
I've come
To nothing
I mean nothing
So I come back
To my first note
As I must
Come back to you
I will pour
Into that one note
All the love
I feel for you
Anyone who wants
The whole show, show
Do-re-mi-fa
So-la-ci-do
He will
Find himself
With no show
Better play
The note you know
The lyrics to Ella Fitzgerald's song One Note Samba speak about the simplicity of love and music, both of which can be built on a single note. The song starts by talking about how it is just a simple little samba, built upon a single note. Though other notes will eventually follow, the root of the song is still that very first note. When a new note is played, it is the consequence of the one that the song has just come through. This ties in with the love that the song speaks of, where the singer is the unavoidable consequence of the person they love.
There are other people who can talk and talk, but just like those other notes in the song, they are not the root of anything significant. Rather, they are nearly nothing. The singer has used up all the scale that they know and at the end of it all, they have come to nothing. But just like the music, they come back to their first note - their love - as they must come back to the person they love. The singer will pour all the love they feel for this person into that one note. The song ends with the advice to better play the note you know, instead of trying to put on a whole show.
Line by Line Meaning
This is just
This song is simply
A little samba
A small yet lively form of dance music
Built upon
Created on the foundation of
A single note
One musical tone as the starting point
Other notes
Additional musical tones
Are sure to follow
Will be added later
But the root
However, the fundamental basis
Is still that note
Remains the same
Now this new note
The latest tone being introduced
Is the consequence
Results from
Of the one
Of the previous note
We've just
That we have just heard
Been through
Played earlier
As I'm bound to be
As I am destined to become
The unavoidable
The inevitable
Consequence of you
Result of your presence or influence
There's so many people
Many individuals
Who can talk
Who talk
And talk and talk
And talk more and more
And just say nothing
Without actually saying anything meaningful
Or nearly nothing
Or very little of significance
I have used up
I have already played
All the scale
All the musical notes available in the scale
I know
That I am familiar with
And at the end
But eventually
I've come
I have arrived
To nothing
To a point of no musical growth
I mean nothing
I am left with nothing creatively
So I come back
Therefore I return
To my first note
To the original tone
As I must
As I am compelled to
Come back to you
Return to you for inspiration
I will pour
I will express
Into that one note
All within that singular tone
All the love
Every love
I feel for you
That I experience for you
Anyone who wants
Any listener who wishes
The whole show, show
To hear a complete performance
Do-re-mi-fa
Musical notes
So-la-ci-do
More musical notes
He will
They will
Find himself
Realize that they are
With no show
At a concert with no performance happening
Better play
It is recommended to play
The note you know
With the note you are familiar with
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Tratore
Written by: Antonio Carlos Brasileiro De A Jobim, Newton Ferreira de Mendonca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Irina Ebralidze
This is just a little samba
Built upon a single note
Other notes are bound to follow
But the root is still that note
Now this new note is the consequence
Of the one we've just been through
As I'm bound to be
The unavoidable consequence of you
There's so many people
Who can talk and talk, and talk
And just say nothing
Or nearly nothing
I have used up all the scale
I know and at the end
I've come to nothing
I mean nothing
So I come back to my first note
As I come back to you
I will pour into that one note
All the love I feel for you
Any one who wants the whole show
Re mi fa so la ci do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the note you know
So I come back to my first note
I must come back to you
I will pour into that one note
All the love I feel for you
Any one who wants the whole show
Re mi fa so la ci do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the note you know
José Thomaz
Tom Jobim is one of the reasons why I'm proud to be Brazilian.
blibliobli
you should be proud of things you choose to do.
Sun Rose
Ella is the reason I glad to be a black American💙
Pam Tebelman
@Richard Lightburn Great comment!
Novawax
Jobim and Joao Gilberto, dos maestros.
gwen Sperling
My mom used to play Girl from Ipanema all the time......
Isabelle Nicaud
I swear that this woman is a pure genius, she is a singer with the most flexible voice ever but she is also a musician, her improvisations are breathtaking, her voice is so powerful and tender at the same time, so delicate, she is the tiny flower and she is the forest
I am never tired of Ella Fitzgerald 😊
A'Doris A
They will NEVER have another like Ella.
fubecao
@Douglas Trazzare Artful phrasing, vocal agility and range, rhythmic sophistication, bebop vocabulary (what she chooses NOT to sing), and most of all the LOVE conveyed in her music, love for the music, the songwriter, and the audience. Ella is unmatched in all these areas, among singers at least.
Douglas Trazzare
q: what's the difference between ella fitzgerald and sarah vaughan?
a: management