One Note Samba
Frank Sinatra/Antonio Carlos Jobim Lyrics
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built upon a single note
Other notes are bound to follow but the root is still that note
Now this new one 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
I have used up all the scale I know and at the end I've come
To nothing, or nearly 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
Any one who wants the whole show do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si-do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the note you know
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
Any one who wants the whole show do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si-do
He will find himself with no show
Better play the notes you know
In "One Note Samba," Frank Sinatra speaks to how powerful one note can be. He says that the song is 'just a little samba built upon a single note.' Although other notes are bound to follow, the root of the song is still that one note. He also suggests that this new note is a consequence of the one that he has just played, much like he is the consequence of the person he is addressing. Sinatra acknowledges that many people talk and talk, but they say nothing or nearly nothing. In contrast to this, he uses his love for the other person to pour into a single note.
Sinatra repeats that he's used up all the scales he knows and that he has come to nothing. However, he comes back to his first note, just as he must come back to the person he loves. He says he will pour all the love he feels for the person into the one note. He then suggests that anyone who wants the entire show, all seven musical notes, will find that they have nothing at all. Better to play the notes you already know. Ultimately, Sinatra suggests that one note or one thing can be significant if applied in the right way.
Line by Line Meaning
This is just a little samba
This song is but a small expression of love
built upon a single note
Its foundation is a simple but meaningful note
Other notes are bound to follow but the root is still that note
More complex expressions will follow, but this simple note remains its essence
Now this new one is the consequence
Each note that follows is the product of its predecessor
of the one we've just been through
It owes its existence to what came before it
As I'm bound to be the unavoidable consequence of you
Just as my song is a result of my love for you, my life is shaped by our connection
There's so many people who can talk and talk and talk
There are many who use many words to say very little
And just say nothing or nearly nothing
Their words lack meaning and depth
I have used up all the scale I know and at the end I've come
I have exhausted all my expressions of love
To nothing, or nearly nothing
What remains is almost insignificant
So I come back to my first note
I return to the simplest and most sincere expression of love
as I must come back to you
Just as I am bound to return to you
I will pour into that one note
I will infuse that simple expression with all my feelings of love
all the love I feel for you
It will be a potent and genuine expression of my emotions
Any one who wants the whole show do-re-mi-fa-so-la-si-do
Those seeking grand spectacles will be disappointed with this simplicity
He will find himself with no show
There is no complex performance to put on here
Better play the note you know
It is better to always rely on the most honest and true expressions of oneself
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Antonio Carlos Brasileiro De A Jobim, Newton Mendonca
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind