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, hmm?

 (Oh, listen to me children and-a you will hear

 About the elininatin' 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) down to the minimum

 Otherwise (otherwise) pandemonium

 Liable to walk upon the scene

 To illustrate (well illustrate) my last remark (you got the floor)

 Jonah in the whale, Noah in the ark

 What did they say (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

      (Johnny Mercer / Harold Arlen)