It Don't Mean a Thing
The Red Onion Jazz band Lyrics
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If it ain't got that swing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
It don't mean a thing
All you got to do is sing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
If it's sweet or hot
Just give that rhythm
Ev'rything you got
Oh, it don't mean a thing
If it ain't got that swing
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
The Red Onion Jazz Band's "It Don't Mean A Thing" is a song that celebrates the important role that swing plays in jazz music. The lyrics suggest that without the right rhythm and feeling, music is nothing. The opening lines, "It don't mean a thing if it ain't got that swing," emphasize the importance of the swing beat that characterizes jazz music. The phrase "doo wah" that follows the lyric is the vocalization of scat singing, a popular jazz singing style that involves improvised nonsense words.
The song's lyrics go on to suggest that it doesn't matter whether the music is "sweet or hot." What is important is that the rhythm is played with commitment and energy. The final lines of the chorus repeat the opening line, once again underscoring the central message of the song.
Overall, "It Don't Mean A Thing" is a call to musicians to embrace the swing beat and to play with confidence and enthusiasm. The lyrics suggest that when musicians do so, the result is a powerful, compelling form of jazz music that cannot be ignored.
Line by Line Meaning
It don't mean a thing
The value of something is insignificant
If it ain't got that swing
Unless there's a rhythmic quality that makes it enjoyable
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
It don't mean a thing
The value of something is insignificant
All you got to do is sing
Just perform it in a way that makes it enjoyable
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
It makes no diff'rence
It doesn't matter
If it's sweet or hot
Whether it's mellow or energetic
Just give that rhythm
Perform with a focus on the beat
Ev'rything you got
Give it your all
Oh, it don't mean a thing
The value of something is insignificant
If it ain't got that swing
Unless there's a rhythmic quality that makes it enjoyable
(doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
Doo wah, doo wah, doo wah, doo wah)
Non-lyrical sounds for emphasis
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Duke Ellington, Irving Mills
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind