Accentuate The Positive
Written By: Johnny Mercer (Lyrics) and Harold Arlen (Music)
Trivia:
Written in 1944 for the movie 'Here Come The Waves', which starred Bing Crosby, Betty Hutton and Sonny Tufts. Crosby and Tufts sing it in this movie. It was nominated for a Best Song Academy Award (Oscar) in 1945.
Many interpretations have spoken words about what the song is about (sin) at the beginning. Sam Cooke did not.
Song is usually spelled Ac-Cent-Tchu-ate the Positive
Recorded August 6th 1958 at Rex Productions Inc. in Los Angeles, California by Bumps Blackwell
Arranger and Conductor: Rene Hall
Musicians: Bumps Blackwell Orchestra
Singles & EP's
Encore, Vol. 3 (Keen EP B 2008) with 'It's The Talk Of The Town', 'My Foolish Heart' & 'Accentuate The Positive'
Albums:
Lyrics: [Basic chords - just for the campfire]
You've got to accentuate
the positive
eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmitive
But don't mess with mister inbetween
You've got to spread joy up to the maximum
Bring gloom down to the minumum
have faith, a pandemonium
Libel to walk up on 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
They said we better
accentuate the positive
eliminate the negative
latch on to the affimitive
But don't mess with mister inbetween
[One more Time]
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
just when everything looked so dark
don't mess, don't mess, don't mess
with mister inbetween
(this verse twice)