Everybody's thinking
thinking pretty hard
Everybody's thinkin'
about singin' from the heart

If you want my opinion
it doesn't mean a thing
if you haven't got that ability to swing
The ability to swing

Everybody workin'
workin' pretty hard
Everbody workin'
at singin' from the heart

If you want my opinion
it isn't worth a bean
if you haven't got that
ability to swing
The ability to swing

Dreams, take them away
Got it alone
Honey, Rome wasn't built in a day
But, now it's a ruin
The joke has worn thin
And it isn't cool to abuse the ability to swing
Oh no!

Everbody' talking
talkin' pretty loud
Everbody lookin'
to stand out from the crowd

Gonna break it to you bucko
It isn't worth a bean
if you ain't in possession
of the ability to swing
The ability to swing

Friends send them away
Go it alone honey, Rome wasn't built in a day
Now it's a ruin
The joke has worn thin
And it isn't cool to abuse
the ability to swing

SCAT

But, each beat take me deeper under
Each beat sends me more to sleep
Heart melts ice and heart spells danger
Don't hold your breath boy, 'cause it
don't come cheap, no

Everybody lookin'
lookin' pretty hard
Everybody lookin' for a meaning in my art
Gonna give it to you straight boy
It isn't worth a bean
if you haven't got that ability to swing
The ability to swing
Yeah, the ability to swing

The ability to swing
The ability, the ability
The ability to swing
The ability to swing
The ability to swing

Gonna give it to you straight
Boy, it isn't worth a bean
if you haven't got that ability to swing
The ability to swing
The ability to swing
The ability to swing
Oooh
The ability to swing
The ability to swing