If you wanna hear my story,
Then settle back and just sit tight,
While I start reviewin'
The attitude of doin' right!

You gotta spread joy up to the maximum,
Bring gloom down to the minimum,
Have faith, or pandemonium
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, "You better
Accentuate the positive,
Eliminate the negative,
Latch on to the affirmative,
Don't mess with Mister Inbetween!
No, don't mess with Mister Inbetween!

To illustrate my last remark,
Oh, Jonah in the whale, Noah in the Ark,
What did he do, what did he do
Just when everything looked dark?

Man he said, "You better
Accentuate the positive,
'Liminate, ooh the negative,
Latch on to the affirmative,
Don't mess with Mister Inbetween!

So now you've heard my sermon,
Cut out, don't mess with Mister Inbetween!

Copyright: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Writer(s): Harold Arlen, Johnny Mercer