Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive
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


<Intro is slow and bluesy>

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

<tempo picks up>

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) <mixed with an indecipherable falsetto>
(Bring gloom down to the minimum) <mixed with an indecipherable falsetto>
(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.