Sing You Sinners
Tony Bennett;Ralph Sharon & his Orchestra Lyrics


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Brothers, sisters
Listen to what I say
Moanin' and groanin'
Won't drive those blues away
Lift up your voices in song
You know you've all done wrong

You sinners, drop everything
And let that harmony ring
Up to Heaven
And sing, you sinners

Just wave your arms all about
And let the Lord hear you shout
Pour the music right out
And sing, you sinners

Whenever there's music
The Devil kicks
He don't allow music
By the river Styx

You're wicked and you're depraved
And you've all misbehaved
If you wanna be saved
Well, sing, you sinners

Well, up until now
I've been asking you singers to sing
But if you can't sing, dance
C'mon band, swing

Swing, swing, swing
Swing, you sinners
Swing, swing, swing
Swing, you sinners

Whenever there's music
The Devil kicks
He don't allow music
By the river Styx

You're wicked and you're depraved
And you've all misbehaved
If you wanna be saved




If you wanna be saved
Well, sing, you sinners

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Sing You Sinners" by Tony Bennett and John Legend is basically a call to all the sinners to let go of their troubles and worries. The song is an invitation to embrace joy, to express oneself without fear of judgment, and to revel in the healing power of music. The lyrics implore the listener to lift up their voices and join in song, even if they have done wrong.


The song encourages the sinner to sing with abandon and let the harmony ring up to heaven, asking them to wave their arms about and shout so that the Lord can hear them. Whenever music is involved, the devil kicks in and doesn't allow music by the river Styx. The song tells the listeners that they are all wicked and depraved, but there is still hope for them to be saved, and that salvation lies in singing.


This song is a reminder that music can be a powerful tool in healing oneself and finding joy in life, even in the worst of circumstances.


Line by Line Meaning

Brothers, sisters
Everyone listening to this song


Listen to what I say
Pay attention to the lyrics


Moanin' and groanin'
Complaining and feeling sad


Won't drive those blues away
Won't make you feel better


Lift up your voices in song
Sing out loud


You know you've all done wrong
Admit that you've made mistakes


You sinners, drop everything
Everyone who's made mistakes should stop what they're doing


And let that harmony ring
Sing together in perfect synchronization


Up to Heaven
Directing the song upwards to Heaven


And sing, you sinners
Sing even though you've made mistakes


Just wave your arms all about
Move your arms with the music


And let the Lord hear you shout
Shout in order to make your voice heard by God


Pour the music right out
Let the music flow out of you


Whenever there's music
Whenever there's music being played


The Devil kicks
Saying that the Devil doesn't like music


He don't allow music
Saying that the Devil doesn't allow music near his location in the river Styx


You're wicked and you're depraved
Saying that people are inherently flawed


And you've all misbehaved
Saying that everyone has made mistakes at some point in their lives


If you wanna be saved
If you want to be saved from your mistakes and flaws


Well, sing, you sinners
Sing even though you've made mistakes


Up until now
Until this point in the song


I've been asking you singers to sing
The singer is saying that they've been asking for everyone to sing


But if you can't sing, dance
If you can't sing, then dance instead


C'mon band, swing
The band should play swing music


Swing, swing, swing
Encouraging everyone to swing to the music


If you wanna be saved
If you want to be saved from your mistakes and flaws


Well, sing, you sinners
Sing even though you've made mistakes




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Sam Coslow, W. Franke Harling

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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