John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded … Read Full Bio ↴John Herndon "Johnny" Mercer (18 November 1909 – 25 June 1976) is regarded as one of America's greatest songwriters. He is best known as a lyricist, but he also composed music. He was also a popular singer who recorded his own songs as well as those written by others. From the mid-1930s through the mid-1950s, many of the songs Mercer wrote and performed were among the most popular hits of the time. He wrote the lyrics to more than fifteen hundred songs, including compositions for movies and Broadway shows. He received nineteen Academy Award nominations, and won four. Mercer was also a co-founder of Capitol Records.

Sweet Georgia Brown
Johnny Mercer Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

She just got here yesterday,
Things are hot here now they say,
There's a new gal in town.
Gals are jealous, there's no doubt.
All the guys just rave about
Sweet, Sweet Georgia Brown.
And ever since she came, the common folks all claim, say;

No gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown.
Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown,
I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
It's been said she knocks 'em dead when she lands in town.
Since she came why it's a shame how she's cooled 'em down.
Fellas that she can't get must be fellas that she ain't met.
Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, Sweet Georgia Brown.

All you gals will get the blues,
all you pals will surely lose.
And, there's but one excuse.
Now I've told you who she was,
and I've told you what she does,
Still, give this gal her dues.
This pretty maiden's prayer is answered anywhere

No gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown.
Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown,
I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
All those tips the porter slips to Sweet Georgia Brown
They buy clothes at fashion shows for one dollar down.

Fellas, won'tcha tip your hats. Oh boy, ain't she the cats?
Who's that mister, tain't her sister, It's Sweet Georgia Brown.

Overall Meaning

The song “Sweet Georgia Brown” by Johnny Mercer is about a new girl in town who has caught the attention of all the guys, causing the girls to be jealous. The song tells the story of how the arrival of Sweet Georgia Brown has cooled down the men in the town, and how everyone is talking about her. She may have “two left feet” but there’s something about her that makes the guys sigh and want to die for her. The song describes her as a knockout who is capable of making anyone who crosses her path fall in love with her.

Line by Line Meaning

She just got here yesterday,
Sweet Georgia Brown arrived in town recently.

Things are hot here now they say,
There's a lot of buzz about Sweet Georgia Brown since she arrived.

There's a new gal in town.
Sweet Georgia Brown is a new arrival in the town.

Gals are jealous, there's no doubt.
Other girls in town are envious of Sweet Georgia Brown's attention from guys.

All the guys just rave about Sweet, Sweet Georgia Brown.
The guys in town are all talking about how amazing Sweet Georgia Brown is.

And ever since she came, the common folks all claim, say;
Since her arrival, people have been saying that Sweet Georgia Brown is the best girl in town.

No gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown.
Sweet Georgia Brown is better than any other girl in the town.

Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
Although she's not a great dancer, Sweet Georgia Brown still looks good doing it.

They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown, I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
All the guys want to be with Sweet Georgia Brown, and the reason why is pretty obvious.

It's been said she knocks 'em dead when she lands in town.
Sweet Georgia Brown is said to be very attractive and has a big impact on people when she arrives.

Since she came why it's a shame how she's cooled 'em down.
Since Sweet Georgia Brown arrived, other girls have lost attention from guys.

Fellas that she can't get must be fellas that she ain't met.
The only guys who aren't interested in Sweet Georgia Brown just haven't met her yet.

Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, Sweet Georgia Brown.
Sweet Georgia Brown is named after the state of Georgia where she was born.

All you gals will get the blues, all you pals will surely lose. And, there's but one excuse.
Other girls in the town will be unhappy and jealous because of Sweet Georgia Brown's presence.

Now I've told you who she was, and I've told you what she does, Still, give this gal her dues.
Despite knowing how amazing Sweet Georgia Brown is, she still deserves credit for her accomplishments.

This pretty maiden's prayer is answered anywhere.
Sweet Georgia Brown's beauty and charm make her desirable no matter where she goes.

All those tips the porter slips to Sweet Georgia Brown, They buy clothes at fashion shows for one dollar down.
People give gifts to Sweet Georgia Brown because they are so impressed by her.

Fellas, won'tcha tip your hats. Oh boy, ain't she the cats? Who's that mister, tain't her sister, It's Sweet Georgia Brown.
Everyone should give their respect and admiration to Sweet Georgia Brown because she deserves it.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: MAX LODERBAUER, PAULA SCHOPF

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS