Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive - Bing Crosby

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive

 

Music written by: Harold Arlen
Lyrics written by: Johnny Mercer
Comments: Written for the 1944 movie Here Come the Waves. The lyrics, according to Mercer, were inspired by a church sermon: "I went to hear Father Divine and he had a sermon and his subject was ‘you got to accentuate the positive and eliminate the negative.’ And I said ‘Wow, that’s a colorful phrase!’

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive Lyrics

You've got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
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
Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate his last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they do
Just when everything looked so dark

Man, they said we better, accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, do not mess with Mister In-Between
Do you hear me?

Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear
About the eliminatin' of the negative
And the accent on the positive
And gather 'round me children if you're willin'
And sit tight while I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right

You've gotta accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
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
Otherwise pandemonium
Liable to walk upon the scene

To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
What did they say
Say when everything looked so dark

Man, they said we better accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
Latch on to the affirmative
Don't mess with Mister In-Between
No, don't mess with Mister In-Between

Ac-Cent-Tchu-Ate the Positive Singers

1. Johnny Mercer and The Pied Pipers with Paul Weston and His Orchestra (Billboard hit 1945) November 1944 (First recording on October 4, 1944)
2. Bing Crosby and The Andrews Sisters with Vic Schoen and His Orchestra (Billboard hit 1945) December 8, 1944

3. Artie Shaw and His Orchestra - Vocal Refrain by Imogene Lynn (Billboard hit 1945) December 1944 4. Kay Kyser and His Orchestra - Vocal Chorus by Dolly Mitchell and Vocal Trio January 22, 1945 5. Geraldo and His Orchestra (Vocalists : Three Boys And a Girl) May 1945 6. Sammy Davis, Jr. and Gary Crosby 1955 7. Buddy Rich June 1956 8. Joe Derise with the Australian Jazz Quartet 1956 9. Beryl, Connie, Jane July 1957 10. Ella Mae Morse with Orchestra conducted by Billy May October 1957 11. Martha Carson y 1958 12. Sam Cooke - Bumps Blackwell Orchestra November 1958 13. Perry Como 1958 14. Roy Hamilton 1959 15. Gene Vincent March 1960 16. The Four Lads arranged and conducted by Frank DeVol 1960 17. The Four Freshmen arranged and conducted by Billy May May 1961 18. Ella Fitzgerald 1961 19. Aretha Franklin March 19, 1962 20. Steve Perry 1962 21. The Belmonts February 1963 22. Vikki Carr August 1963 23. Annie Lykke 1965 24. Harold Arlen March 1966 25. Dave Van Ronk September 1971 26. Teresa Brewer 1985 27. Willie Nelson March 1988 28. Lawrence Lebo and Her Little Big Band 1989 29. Dr. John 1989 30. Julie Wilson 1990 31. Mel Tormé - George Shearing 1991 32. Ray Pennington & Buddy Emmons & The Swing Shift Band January 1992 33. Nancy LaMott 1992 34. Maxine Sullivan 1992 35. Jack Sheldon with Ross Tompkins 1992 36. Susannah McCorkle April 30, 1993 37. Barbara Cook 1994 38. Astrid Seriese 1994 39. Sam Harris 1994 40. Sylvia McNair & André Previn May 1996 41. Jennifer Heaney 1996 42. Maureen McGovern 1996 43. Tommy Newsom and the L.A. Big Band All-Stars 1996 44. Marion Montgomery with The Laurie Holloway Trio 1996 45. Clint Eastwood November 18, 1997 46. Ib Glindemann and His Orchestra with Jørgen Klubien 1997 47. Marion Montgomery 1997 48. Tony Bennett 1998 49. Boston Gay Men's Chorus 1999 50. Connie Evingson 1999 51. Monica Mancini October 10, 2000 52. Del-Louise Moyer, Dean Williamson 2001 53. The James Sisters 2001 54. Jay Leonhart, Ken Peplowski, Ted Rosenthal, Grady Tate 2001 55. Audrey Lavine September 2002 56. Sir Roland Hanna - Carrie Smith 2002 57. Jim Wann 2002 58. Eric Mingus and Mary Margaret O'Hara February 11, 2003 59. Annie Sellick featuring Joey DeFrancesco 2003 60. Al Jarreau August 3, 2004 61. Tom Wopat February 2005 62. Tom Gaebel October 14, 2005 63. Mady Kaye 2006 64. Thomas Quasthoff March 2007 65. London Gay Men's Chorus 2008 66. Die Geschwister Pfister mit dem Jo Roloff Terzett May 22, 2009 67. JaLaLa 2009 68. Cliff Richard October 11, 2010 69. Laura Taylor 2010 70. Isabel Rose 2010 71. Anam Cara 2010 72. Susan Blair 2010 73. Dina Blade 2010 74. Barbara Cook & Michael Feinstein January 2011 75. Jimmy Maddox 2011 76. Paul McCartney February 7, 2012 77. The Bear Ponds September 20, 2012 78. Jools Holland & his Rhthym & Blues Orchestra, Rumer November 30, 2012 79. Jackie Ryan January 15, 2013 80. Barry Manilow March 2014 81. Isabella Lundgren November 5, 2014 82. Blue Champagne November 2014 83. Joanie Pallatto & Marshall Vente March 3, 2015 84. Anandi Gefroh 2015 85. Jaimee Paul with The Mason Embry Trio February 26, 2016 86. The Puppini Sisters March 18, 2016 87. Tim Tamashiro 2016 88. Regina Carter April 21, 2017 89. Swingadelic 2017 90. Karin Bachner & The Pocket Big Band April 2019 91. Nellie McKay October 25, 2019 92. Deborah Silver August 7, 2020 93. Jennifer Hudson August 13, 2021

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