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Top Songs By Aretha Franklin
Credits
PERFORMING ARTISTS
Aretha Franklin
Vocals
Wynton Kelly
Piano
Larry Gales
Bass
Jimmy Cobb
Drums
Mundell Lowe
Guitar
Joe Newman
Trumpet
Al Grey
Trombone
Jerry Dodgion
Saxophone
Oliver Nelson
Saxophone
Richard Wess
Conductor
COMPOSITION & LYRICS
Harold Arlen
Composer
Johnny Mercer
Lyrics
Richard Wess
Arranger
PRODUCTION & ENGINEERING
John Hammond
Producer
Lyrics
[Verse 1]
You got to accentuate the positive
And eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
But don't mess with Mr. In-between
[Verse 2]
You got to spread joy up to the maximum
And bring gloom down to the minimum
And have faith or pandemonium
Liable to walk up on the scene
[PreChorus]
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
[Chorus]
We've got to accentuate the positive
And eliminate the negative
And hang on to that affirmative
But don't mess with Mr. In-between
[Verse 3]
To illustrate my last remark
Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark
Tell me, what did they do?
Just when everything, everything looked so dark?
Man, they said
[Chorus]
We've got to accentuate the positive
And eliminate the negative
And hang on to that affirmative
But don't mess, don't mess with Mr. In-between
[Verse 4]
No, no, no, don't mess
Oh, baby, I said don't mess
You better not
Don't mess with Mr. In-between, yeah
Written by: Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer