Fascinating Rhythm
Tony Bennett;Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra Lyrics
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That pit-a-pats through my brain,
So darn persistent,
The day isn't distant
When it'll drive me insane.
Comes in the morning
Without any warning,
And hangs around me all day.
Someday, and speak up to it.
I hope it listens when I say
Fascinating Rhythm,
You've got me on the go!
Fascinating Rhythm,
I'm all a-quiver.
When a mess you're making!
The neighbors want to know
Why I'm always shaking
Just like a fliver.
Each morning I get up with the sun,
Start a-hopping,
Never stopping,
To find at night no work has been done.
I know that
Once it didn't matter,
But now you're doing wrong,
When you start to patter
I'm so unhappy.
Won't you take a day off?
Decide to run along
Somewhere far away off,
And make it snappy!
Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be!
Fascinating rhythm,
Oh won't you stop picking on me?
The song Fascinating Rhythm by Tony Bennett and Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra talks about a persistent rhythm that runs through the singer's mind, driving him to the point of insanity. The rhythm is so captivating and fascinating that it makes the singer shake, and the neighbors wonder why he is always shaking. The singer finds himself unable to focus on his work because of this rhythm, and he longs to be the man he once was before the rhythm took over his life. The lyrics are a mix of both humor and frustration, with the singer begging the rhythm to take a day off and leave him be.
The song is a classic jazz standard that was first introduced in the Broadway musical "Lady, Be Good!" in 1924. It was composed by George Gershwin, with lyrics by his brother, Ira Gershwin. The song became an instant hit and has since been covered by various artists, including Ella Fitzgerald and Fred Astaire. "Fascinating Rhythm" reflects the major themes of the Jazz Age, expressing the vibrancy and restless energy of the era.
Line by Line Meaning
Got a little rhythm, a rhythm, a rhythm
I have a small tune that keeps repeating in my head
That pit-a-pats through my brain,
It's beating in my head like a heart
So darn persistent,
It's very insistent and won't go away
The day isn't distant,
I fear it will eventually overwhelm me
When it'll drive me insane.
It will cause me to lose my mind
Comes in the morning
It starts when I wake up
Without any warning,
It starts suddenly and without any trigger
And hangs around me all day.
It stays with me constantly
I'll have to sneak up to it
I need to approach it carefully
Someday, and speak up to it.
I need to confront it and try to reason with it
I hope it listens when I say
I hope it will hear me out and stop bothering me
Fascinating Rhythm,
The tune that's plaguing my mind
You've got me on the go!
It's keeping me busy and active
I'm all a-quiver.
It's making me nervous and jumpy
When a mess you're making!
It's causing chaos in my life
The neighbors want to know
People around me are noticing my behavior
Why I'm always shaking
Why I seem to be nervous and unsteady
Just like a fliver.
Like a small and unstable object
Each morning I get up with the sun,
I wake up early every day
Start a-hopping,
I start moving around quickly
Never stopping,
I keep going without rest
To find at night no work has been done.
But at the end of the day, I realize I haven't accomplished anything significant
I know that
I'm aware that
Once it didn't matter,
It used to be harmless and insignificant
But now you're doing wrong,
But now it's become a problem
When you start to patter
When the tune starts to repeat obsessively
I'm so unhappy.
It makes me miserable
Won't you take a day off?
I'm asking the tune to stop for a while
Decide to run along
Go somewhere else and bother someone else
Somewhere far away off,
Go somewhere very distant
And make it snappy!
Do it quickly
Oh, how I long to be the man I used to be!
I wish I could return to my old self, without this tune constantly bothering me
Fascinating rhythm,
The tune that won't leave me alone
Oh won't you stop picking on me?
Please leave me alone and stop tormenting me
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: LAURIE SUZANNE MAYER, SHARON MICHELLE MUSGRAVE, WILLIAM ORBIT, STEPHEN ALLAN ROBERTS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind