It Ain't Necessarily So
Ella Fitzgerald / Louis Armstrong Lyrics
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It ain't necessarily so,
[All]
It ain't necessarily so.
[Sportin' Life:]
De t'ings dat yo li'ble
To read in de Bible -
Lil' David was small, but oh my!
[All]
Lil' David was small, but oh my!
Sportin' Life:
He fought Big Goliath
Who lay down and dieth -
Lil' David was small, but oh my!
Wadoo!
[Ensemble]
Wadoo!
[Sportin' Life]
Zim bam boddle-oo!
[Ensemble]
Zim bam boddle-oo!
[Sportin' Life]
Hoodle ah da waah da!
[Ensemble]
Hoodle ah da waah da!
[Sportin' Life]
Scatty way!
[Ensemble]
Scatty wah!
[Sportin' Life]
Yeah!
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale
[All]
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale.
[Sportin' Life]
Fo' he made his home in
Dat fish's abdomen -
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale.
Lil' Moses was found in a stream
[All]
Lil' Moses was found in a stream
[Sportin' Life]
He floated on water
'Til Ole' Pharaoh's daughter
She fished him, she says from dat stream.
Wadoo!
[Ensemble]
Wadoo!
[Sportin' Life]
Zim bam boddle-oo!
[Ensemble]
Zim bam boddle-oo!
[Sportin' Life]
Hoodle ah da waah da!
[Ensemble]
Hoodle ah da waah da!
[Sportin' Life]
Scatty way!
[Ensemble]
Scatty wah!
[Sportin' Life]
Yeah!
It ain't necessarily so
[All]
It ain't necessarily so
[Sportin' Life]
Dey tell all you chillun
De Debble's a villun
But 'tain't necessarily so.
To get into Hebbben
Don't snap fo' a sebben -
Live clean! Don' have no fault!
Oh, I takes dat gospel
Whenever it's pos'ple -
But wid a grain of salt!
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
[All]
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
[Sportin' Life]
But who calls dat livin'
When no gal'll give in
To no man what's nine hundred years?
I'm preachin' dis sermon to show
It ain't nessa, ain't nessa,
Ain't nessa, ain't nessa -
[All]
It ain't necessarily so!
The song "It Ain't Necessarily So" features two distinct parts, one that provides a commentary on the Bible and the other that serves as a satire of sermons from that era. The song starts with a solo by "Sportin' Life," who professes that "The things that you're liable to read in the Bible, it ain't necessarily so" and continues to provide examples of biblical stories that are a myth, such as Little David slaying Goliath and Jonah living in the belly of a whale. However, the second part of the song becomes more satirical as "Sportin' Life" begins to preach the Gospel and asks the congregation to "live clean" and avoid sin, but also reminds them to take the teachings with a "grain of salt." The two distinct parts of the song showcase the unique interpretation of the Bible and sermons during that era.
Line by Line Meaning
It ain't necessarily so,
Just because something is written in the Bible, it may not be true.
Lil' David was small, but oh my!
Despite being small, David defeated the giant Goliath.
Wadoo!
An expression of joy or enthusiasm.
Zim bam boddle-oo!
An expression of joy or enthusiasm.
Hoodle ah da waah da!
An expression of joy or enthusiasm.
Scatty way!
An expression of joy or enthusiasm.
Oh Jonah, he lived in de whale
The Biblical story of Jonah living inside a whale or large fish.
Lil' Moses was found in a stream
The story of Moses being found in a stream by Pharaoh's daughter.
To get into Hebbben
Don't snap fo' a sebben -
Live clean! Don' have no fault!
To enter heaven, one must live a clean and faultless life.
Methus'lah lived nine hundred years,
The Biblical story of a man named Methuselah living for nine hundred years.
I'm preachin' dis sermon to show
It ain't nessa, ain't nessa,
Ain't nessa, ain't nessa -
It ain't necessarily so!
The singer is preaching to show that just because something is in the Bible or a religious text, it may not be true.
Lyrics © SONGS MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: DOROTHY HEYWARD, DU BOSE HEYWARD, GEORGE GERSHWIN, IRA GERSHWIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind