Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive



- Artist: Johnny Mercer as sung on "Remember the 40's-Music Of the War Years

Vol. IV, 1941-45" CEMA Special Markets (Capitol-EMI) CDL-57367

- peak Billboard position # 1 in 1945

- competing versions charted by Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters (#2),

Artie Shaw (#5), and Kay Kyser (#12)

- Words and Music by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer



Gather 'round me, everybody

Gather 'round me while I'm preachin'

Feel a sermon comin' on me

The topic will be sin and that's what I'm ag'in'

If you wanna hear my story

The settle back and just sit tight

While I start reviewin'

The attitude of doin' right



You've got to accentuate the positive

Eliminate the negative

And latch on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between



You've got to spread joy up to the maximum

Bring gloom down to the minimum

Have faith or pandemonium's

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'd better accentuate the positive")

("Eliminate the negative")

("And latch on to the affirmative")

Don't mess with Mister In-Between (No!)

Don't mess with Mister In-Between



(Ya got to spread joy up to the maximum)



(Bring gloom down to the minimum)



(Have faith or pandemonium's)

(Liable to walk upon the scene)



You got to ac (yes, yes) -cent-tchu-ate the positive

Eliminate (yes, yes) the negative

And latch (yes, yes) on to the affirmative

Don't mess with Mister In-Between

No, don't mess with Mister In-Between



Transcribed by Robin Hood



These lyrics were transcribed from the specific recording mentioned above

and do not necessarily correspond with lyrics from other recordings, sheet

music, songbooks or lyrics printed on album jackets.