Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive
Johnny Mercer & The Pied Pipers Lyrics
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Gather 'round me, while I preach some
Feel a sermon coming on here
The topic will be sin
And that's what I'm agin'
If you wanna hear my story
Then settle back and just sit tight
While I start reviewing
You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-i-nate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mr. In-between
You got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
And have faith, or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do, just when everything looked so dark?
Man, they said, we better ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-i-nate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mr. In-between
No, don't mess with Mr. In-between
You got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minimum
And have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene
You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
E-lim-i-nate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mr. In-between
No, don't mess with Mr. In-between
In Johnny Mercer's song Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate The Positive, he employs religious imagery and metaphors to communicate the importance of having a positive attitude towards life. He likens life to a sermon and himself to a preacher, gathering everyone around to preach about the sin of having a negative attitude. Mercer presents his argument using the example of Jonah in the whale and Noah in the ark, both of whom found themselves in dire circumstances, but rather than focusing on the negatives, they chose to accentuate the positives and have faith.
Throughout the song, the message is clear - in order to navigate the ups and downs of life, we must eliminate negativity, latch onto positivity and have faith. The repetition of the phrase, "you got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive" reinforces the message and creates a catchy tune. Mercer's use of rhyme and rhythm creates a memorable sermon that is easy to sing along to and reminds us to focus on the good in life.
Line by Line Meaning
Gather 'round me, everybody
Attention everyone, please come close
Gather 'round me, while I preach some
Stay here and listen to my sermon
Feel a sermon coming on here
I sense that I have an important message to share
The topic will be sin
I will discuss the wrongdoings of humanity
And that's what I'm agin'
I am against sin and negative behavior
If you wanna hear my story
If you want to listen to my message
Then settle back and just sit tight
Please sit comfortably and be patient
While I start reviewing
While I begin to discuss
The attitude of doing right
The mindset of positive and moral behavior
You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
Focus on and emphasize the positive aspects
E-lim-i-nate the negative
Get rid of any negative aspects
And latch on to the affirmative
Hold onto the positive aspects tightly
Don't mess with Mr. In-between
Avoid the gray areas or ambiguous situations
You got to spread joy up to the maximum
Maximize the happiness and positivity in your life
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Minimize the sadness and negativity in your life
And have faith, or pandemonium
Believe and have hope, or chaos may unravel
Liable to walk upon the scene
Likely to enter and cause disruption
To illustrate my last remark
To provide an example to emphasize my previous point
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
The biblical stories of Jonah and Noah
What did they do, just when everything looked so dark?
What action did they take when things seemed hopeless?
Man, they said, we better ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
They realized the importance of focusing on the positive aspects
E-lim-i-nate the negative
They got rid of any negative aspects
And latch on to the affirmative
And held onto the positive aspects tightly
No, don't mess with Mr. In-between
Avoid the gray areas or ambiguous situations
You got to spread joy up to the maximum
Maximize the happiness and positivity in your life
Bring gloom down to the minimum
Minimize the sadness and negativity in your life
And have faith or pandemonium
Believe and have hope, or chaos may unravel
Liable to walk upon the scene
Likely to enter and cause disruption
You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
Focus on and emphasize the positive aspects
E-lim-i-nate the negative
Get rid of any negative aspects
And latch on to the affirmative
Hold onto the positive aspects tightly
Don't mess with Mr. In-between
Avoid the gray areas or ambiguous situations
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind