Mack the Knife
Frank Sinatra with Quincy Jones and Orchestra Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Oh, the shark babe
Has such teeth,dear
And he shows them, pearly white
Just a jackknife
Has old macheath, dear
And he keeps it out of sight

When the shark bites
With his teeth,dear
Scarlet billows start to spread
Fancy gloves,though,wears old
Macheath,dear
So there's never a trace of red

On the sidewalk Sunday morning
Lies a body just oozing life
Someone's sneaking
Round the corner
Could that someone be
Mack the knife?

There's a tugboat down by the river
Didn't you know
A cement bag's dropping down
Well that cement's
Just for the weight dear
Five will get you ten
Mackie's back in town

Here about Louie Miller
He disappeared,dear
After drawing out all his
Hard-earned cash
And Macheath spends
Just like a sailor
Could it be our boy
Did something rash?

Jenny Diver,Sukey Tawdry
Lawdie Lenya and old Lucy Brown




Oh the line forms on the right babe
Now that Mackie's back in town

Overall Meaning

The song "Mack the Knife" is a jaunty, upbeat tune with dark and ominous undertones. The lyrics describe the treacherous and violent character of Mackie, who carries a concealed jackknife, and who may even be responsible for the murder that takes place on the sidewalk. The singer, who is speaking directly to the listener, implies that Mackie is a dangerous and unpredictable character, always lurking around the corner, ready to strike.


The lyrics take a turn in the second half of the song, shifting their focus from Mackie to the people he has affected. Louie Miller has disappeared after being taken for all his money, and there are hints that Mackie may be responsible. The names of Jenny Diver, Sukey Tawdry, Lawdie Lenya, and old Lucy Brown are also mentioned, indicating that they too have been victims of Mackie's schemes. The song concludes with the line, "Oh the line forms on the right babe, now that Mackie's back in town," suggesting that despite his reputation, there are those who are still drawn to Mackie's charismatic personality.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh, the shark babe
The dangerous and sly man is here


Has such teeth,dear
He is cunning and dangerous


And he shows them, pearly white
He is unafraid to show his power


Just a jackknife
He doesn't need much to cause harm


Has old macheath, dear
The dangerous man who goes by Mackie is ready for anything


And he keeps it out of sight
He is smart and doesn't want to get caught


When the shark bites
When the dangerous man strikes


With his teeth,dear
With his power and influence


Scarlet billows start to spread
Chaos ensues


Fancy gloves,though,wears old
He tries to act classy


Macheath,dear
The dangerous man known as Mackie


So there's never a trace of red
He is cautious and avoids leaving evidence behind


On the sidewalk Sunday morning
In broad daylight


Lies a body just oozing life
A victim of Mackie's violence


Someone's sneaking
Someone is being sneaky


Round the corner
Just out of sight


Could that someone be
Is it possible that the perpetrator is


Mack the knife?
Mackie, the dangerous man who carries a knife?


There's a tugboat down by the river
Something is going on by the river


Didn't you know
Are you aware of this?


A cement bag's dropping down
A bag of cement is being dropped


Well that cement's
That cement is


Just for the weight dear
Only to add weight


Five will get you ten
Without a doubt


Mackie's back in town
Mackie is here once again


Here about Louie Miller
Have you heard about Louie Miller


He disappeared,dear
He has gone missing


After drawing out all his
After taking out all his


Hard-earned cash
The money he worked hard for


And Macheath spends
Mackie uses that money for his own purposes


Just like a sailor
He's not afraid to spend money


Could it be our boy
Is it possible that Mackie is responsible


Did something rash?
Did he act impulsively?


Jenny Diver,Sukey Tawdry
Women who associate with criminals


Lawdie Lenya and old Lucy Brown
More women with a similar lifestyle


Oh the line forms on the right babe
A line of people waiting to be Mackie's next victim


Now that Mackie's back in town
Since Mackie has returned




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
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Comments from YouTube:

@2Oldcoots

Few today know Mr. Sinatra almost single handedly led the desegration of Las Vegas when nobody else either would or could. One of a kind human being---got to love him!

@xxxxxx-ix1sn

Nie wiem o co chodzi

@nickyd922

He recorded a tune for jfk

@trusteeplugo6121

Tha's got nothing to do with this recording at the studio

@caesarlupak4188

Sammy Davis Jr. był jednym z pierwszych artystów afroamerykańskich, którzy wystąpili w Las Vegas na początku lat 60. przy aktywnym wsparciu Franka Sinatry.@@xxxxxx-ix1sn

@kinikiealonzo5204

Wow! This is what you get when the very best, of the best, get together. From the musicians to the cinematographers to the lyricists, folks, they killed this one. The best version of Mack The Knife.

@MrChristian

OMG!! Brilliant! What a blast this must have been. A whole room-full of living legends!

@jakedavis9152

I wish i could have been there.

@trusteeplugo6121

The public at large judges performances by celeb names not the music quality itself. Ignorance !

@seanswinton6242

My favorite version of this song. The players on this record are no doubt the most talented, experienced, and lauded musicians in popular music. You've heard them even if you don't know them! Fantastic!

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