I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter
Frank Sinatra & Count Basie Lyrics


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I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe it came from you
I'm gonna write words, oh, so sweet
They're gonna knock me off my feet
A lotta kisses at the bottom
I'll be glad I got 'em

I'm gonna smile and say I hope you're feeling better
And I'll close the way I do
I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
And make believe that it came from you

I'll be glad I got 'em
I'm gonna smile and say I hope that you're much better
The I'll close with love the way you do
I'm gonna sit right down and knock out a very large letter
And make believe it came




Though it's not the same
I'll make believe it came from you

Overall Meaning

The song "I'm Gonna Sit Right Down and Write Myself a Letter" by Frank Sinatra and Count Basie is an upbeat tune about missing someone and finding comfort in writing a letter to oneself. The lyrics express a sense of longing for someone who is not there, and the desire to recreate their presence through writing. The lyrics also suggest a bit of playfulness, with the idea that the writer is pretending the letter came from the absent person. The words are filled with affection and warmth, with kisses at the bottom of the letter, and the hope that the recipient is feeling better.


The song speaks to the power of the written word to connect people, and the idea that sometimes letters can be more personal and intimate than phone calls or texts. The lyrics also hint at the sadness of missing someone, and the longing to have them back. Overall, the song creates a sense of nostalgia for a bygone era when letter-writing was more common, and people relied on words to stay connected with loved ones.


Line by Line Meaning

I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
I plan to take a moment to write a letter to myself


And make believe it came from you
I will pretend as if this letter I've written came from you


I'm gonna write words, oh, so sweet
The words within this letter will be filled with pleasant sentiments


They're gonna knock me off my feet
These delightful words will bring me great joy


A lotta kisses at the bottom
I'll conclude with a lot of kisses, written at the end


I'll be glad I got 'em
I'll be happy to have these sweet words to read


I'm gonna smile and say I hope you're feeling better
Within this letter I'll include well wishes, hoping that you feel better


And I'll close the way I do
I'll sign off with my usual closing, as I always do


I'm gonna sit right down and write myself a letter
I will make time to write myself a letter and enjoy reading it later


And make believe that it came from you
I will imagine that the letter was sent from someone else for added enjoyment




Lyrics © Bluewater Music Corp., Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Fred Ahlert, Joseph Young

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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