Positive
Original Broadway Cast Lyrics


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Gather 'round me, everybody
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
The attitude of doing right

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 mister 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 mister in between

Overall Meaning

The song "Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive" by the Original Broadway Cast is a joyful and upbeat number that encourages listeners to focus on the bright side of things. The lyrics begin with a preacher-like introduction, inviting listeners to gather around and listen to a sermon on the topic of sin. However, the tone quickly changes as the artist asserts that they are against sin, and instead, they want to focus on doing what is right. The central message of the song is then introduced: to accentuate the positive, eliminate the negative, and latch onto the affirmative.


The artist then expands on this idea, singing that we should focus on spreading joy rather than spreading gloom. They also emphasize the importance of having faith and staying positive, as doing so can prevent pandemonium from taking over. Throughout the song, the artist uses specific examples from the Bible, such as Jonah and Noah, to illustrate their point: even when things seem dark, we can choose a positive attitude and find a way to persevere.


Line by Line Meaning

Gather 'round me, everybody
Come close to me, everyone


Gather 'round me, while I preach some
Listen closely as I share my message


Feel a sermon coming on here
I'm about to deliver a powerful speech


The topic will be sin
I'll be talking about wrongdoing


And that's what I'm agin'
I'm against that behavior


If you wanna hear my story
If you're interested in my perspective


Then settle back and just sit tight
Get comfortable and be patient


While I start reviewing
As I begin examining


The attitude of doing right
The approach of making good choices


You got to ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
Emphasize the good aspects


E-lim-i-nate the negative
Get rid of the bad elements


And latch on to the affirmative
Hold onto the positive ideas


Don't mess with mister in between
Don't be indecisive or ambiguous


You got to spread joy up to the maximum
Create and share as much happiness as possible


Bring gloom down to the minimum
Reduce sadness to a minimum level


And have faith, or pandemonium
Believe in something, otherwise chaos may ensue


Liable to walk upon the scene
It's likely that things will get out of control


To illustrate my last remark
As an example of what I just said


Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark,
Biblical characters in difficult situations


What did they do, just when
What did they do when faced with adversity


Everything looked so dark?
When things seemed hopeless


Man, they said, we better
They decided to take action


Ac-cent-tchu-ate the positive
Emphasize the good


E-lim-i-nate the negative
Get rid of the bad


And latch on to the affirmative
Hold onto the positive


Don't mess with mister in between
Don't be wishy-washy




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Laney Lobster

Best song EVAH (ever in case u don't speak textish)

J P

I don’t think the lead trumpet finished on a high a flat

Angelique Mariel

J P yeah this is a slower version of positive I think that’s why

Alexander Moss

@Angelique Mariel No, I'm positive it's a wrong note

jess hawkins

who plays elle in this one.

Chris Talia

jess hawkins sheridan smith

jg0605

2:23

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