Mack the Knife
Frank Sinatra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth dear
And he shows 'em, pearly white
Just a jack knife has Macheath dear
And he keeps it way out of sight

When that shark bites with his teeth, dear
Scarlet billows they begin to spread
Fancy white gloves though has Macheath dear
So there's never, never one trace of red

On the sidewalk, one Sunday morning
Lies a body, oozin' life
Someone's sneaking 'round the corner
Could that someone perhaps per chance be Mack the Knife?

From a tugboat, on the river going slow
A cement bag it is dropping on down
Yeah the cement is just for the weight dear
You can make a large bet Mackie's back in town

My man Louis Miller, he split the scene babe
After drawing out all the bread from his stash
Now Macheath spends like a pimp babe
Do you suppose that our boy, he's did something rash

Ah, old Satchmo, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darrin
They did this song nice, lady Ella too
They all sang it, with so much feeling
That old blue eyes, he ain't gonna add nothing new

But with Quincy's big band, right behind me
Swinging hard, Jack, I now I can't lose
When I tell you, all about Mack the knife babe
It's an offer, you can never refuse

We got George Benson, we got Newman & Foster
We got the Brecker Brothers, and Hampton's bringing up the rear
All these bad cats, and more, are in the band now
They make the greatest sounds, you ever gonna hear

Hey Sookie Taudry, Jenny Diver, Polly Peachum, Old Miss Lulu Brown
Oh the line forms, on the right dear
Now that Macheath, I mean that man Macheath
Yeah he's bad, mercy mercy
Yeah he's badder than old Leroy Brown
You better lock your door, and call the law




Because Macheath's, that bum,
He's back in town

Overall Meaning

"Mack the Knife" is a popular song interpreted by Frank Sinatra, which tells the story of the infamous criminal Mackie Messer (German for Mack The Knife). The song was based on The Threepenny Opera by Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill, where Macheath is the main character. The song highlights Macheath's deadly and villainous ways through its lyrics. The lyrics talk about how Macheath hides his weapon, a jackknife, from sight, and his fancy white gloves that prevent any trace of blood. When Macheath strikes, it leads to messy results, such as the case of the "body oozing life" laid on the sidewalk one Sunday morning.


Sinatra makes a reference to Louis Miller, who ran off with his money, and now Macheath is spending cash like a pimp. This lyric gives the impression that Macheath might have killed him, and it is a plausible explanation for the sudden influx of money without any real source of income. The song then moves on to mention names like Sookie Taudry, Jenny Diver, Polly Peachum, and Old Miss Lulu Brown, who were also characters in The Threepenny Opera.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the shark has pretty teeth dear
The dangerous people in our society can present themselves attractively


And he shows 'em, pearly white
These people can put on a charming facade to cover up their true nature


Just a jack knife has Macheath dear
A person's deadly weapon may appear ordinary or harmless


And he keeps it way out of sight
These dangerous people are secretive and try to hide their true intentions


When that shark bites with his teeth, dear
When these dangerous people act, they often cause widespread harm


Scarlet billows they begin to spread
Their actions can have a ripple effect on the rest of society


Fancy white gloves though has Macheath dear
These dangerous people can afford to present themselves in a high-class, sophisticated manner


So there's never, never one trace of red
They take pains to cover up their violent actions and avoid leaving evidence


On the sidewalk, one Sunday morning
One can stumble upon the aftermath of their destructive actions


Lies a body, oozin' life
The result of their actions is often fatal or irreversible


Someone's sneaking 'round the corner
These dangerous people often operate in secrecy and try to avoid notice


Could that someone perhaps per chance be Mack the Knife?
The identity of the dangerous person is often unknown, but their actions are felt throughout society


From a tugboat, on the river going slow
Even the most mundane or ordinary-seeming things can be used for sinister purposes


A cement bag it is dropping on down
The dangerous person can use anything, no matter how innocuous, as a tool for harm


Yeah the cement is just for the weight dear
These dangerous people are resourceful and can come up with clever ways to hide their actions


You can make a large bet Mackie's back in town
Even if the dangerous person appears to go away, they will always come back to cause more harm


My man Louis Miller, he split the scene babe
Even the people who know these dangerous people well cannot predict their movements or actions


After drawing out all the bread from his stash
These people are often motivated by greed and will do whatever it takes to get what they want


Now Macheath spends like a pimp babe
These dangerous people can enjoy the fruits of their harmful actions and live extravagantly


Do you suppose that our boy, he's did something rash
The danger of these people is that they can act impulsively and unpredictably


Ah, old Satchmo, Louis Armstrong, Bobby Darrin
The storyteller acknowledges the previous singers of this song and their skill in conveying the danger and intrigue of these people


They did this song nice, lady Ella too
The storyteller expresses admiration for these singers' ability to convey the gravity of the situation


They all sang it, with so much feeling
Their performances added to the suspense and intrigue of the subject matter


That old blue eyes, he ain't gonna add nothing new
The storyteller acknowledges that he is not the first to sing about these dangerous people, and he won't be the last


But with Quincy's big band, right behind me
The storyteller has assembled a talented group of musicians to back him up and add to the drama of the performance


Swinging hard, Jack, I now I can't lose
The performer is confident in his ability to convey the danger and intrigue of the subject matter with the help of his talented band


When I tell you, all about Mack the knife babe
The performer is about to share more information about these dangerous people, to further convey the gravity of the situation


It's an offer, you can never refuse
The danger of these people is that they can force others to do what they want, often with lethal consequences


We got George Benson, we got Newman & Foster
The performer highlights the talented musicians who are backing him up


We got the Brecker Brothers, and Hampton's bringing up the rear
The performers are a truly skilled group who are well-equipped to convey the danger and intrigue of these people


All these bad cats, and more, are in the band now
The performer is proud of the talented musicians who have come together to convey the gravity of the subject matter


They make the greatest sounds, you ever gonna hear
The talent of the performers is not in doubt; the listeners will be moved by the music they create


Hey Sookie Taudry, Jenny Diver, Polly Peachum, Old Miss Lulu Brown
The storyteller lists several other characters who have been impacted by these dangerous people


Oh the line forms, on the right dear
The storyteller further establishes that the fallout of these people's actions has lasting consequences on society


Now that Macheath, I mean that man Macheath
The storyteller is emphasizing the importance of the subject matter and the impact it has on society


Yeah he's bad, mercy mercy
The storyteller reiterates that these people are dangerous and should be treated with caution


Yeah he's badder than old Leroy Brown
The storyteller compares the danger of these people to another infamous criminal, emphasizing their notoriety


You better lock your door, and call the law
The storyteller is advising listeners to stay safe and report any suspicious behavior to the authorities


Because Macheath's, that bum,He's back in town
The storyteller is warning listeners that these dangerous people will always return, and society must be vigilant to combat their harmful actions




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, ACUM Ltd., Reservoir Media Management, Inc.
Written by: Kurt Weill, Bertolt Brecht, Marc Blitzstein

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Comments from YouTube:

John Armenta

Now Sinatra is Sinatra. The voice is all Sinatra. No denying it, and it is excellent singing. BUT . . . . it's that awesome freakin big band behind him that really makes this "music". You can FEEL that base T-bone, the bari sax holding up the bottom, the entire sax section, trumpets. . . . and yeah, Frank acknowledges them a couple times in this song. Man if you haven't got the swing after listening to this sang at least once, well, you just ain't human!

D Perez

It was a duet with Jimmy Buffett. It should have been in the title.

Matt Glasgow

It’s all the wrecking crew. Backing bands to sinatra, the beach boys, the monkees, and more. Decent documentary of them on YouTube.

Chase Jackson

@D Perez THANK YOU, my hearing is only 70-75%, but at :37 I clearly knew that was not Sinatra's voice, but cld not distinguish the other voice n i thought the exact same, the title is inaccurate, give the ft. artist their due.

The Kingslayer

It’s Sinatra

Fernando V. Morillo

There is a Spanish Latin "version" of this song that talks about the same scenario but in a Spanish black comunity (Puerto Rican) by Ruben Blades and is called Pedro Navaja. So, the caracter is not Mack "The Knife", but Pedro "Navaja". It is also a classic.

16 More Replies...

Flying Dutchman

Dig the way Frank Sinatra gives a shout-out to that incredible band, and hat-tips Bobby Darin, Ella Fitzgerald, and the great Satchmo. That's how a real pro does it. Class act, all the way through.
I'm a metalhead and I love swing

Concepcion Alonso Garcia

Such a beautiful voice.
Great singer... love that music.🥰🥰🥰

Scooby Doo

What a awesome man, you left us with a timeless piece that just keeps giving.

Joel Dunmore

THE MOST WONDEROUS VOICE OF OUR LIFE-TIME.

More Comments

More Versions