One Note Samba

1960 composed by Antônio Carlos Jobim
Portuguese lyrics by Newton Mendonça. English lyrics by Jon Hendricks.

This is just a little samba, built upon a single note
Other notes are bound to follow, but the root is still that note
Now this new one is the consequence of the one we’ve just been through
As I’m bound to be the unavoidable consequence of you

There’s so many people who can talk and talk and talk
And just say nothing, or nearly nothing
I have used up all the scale I know and at the end
I’ve come to nothing, or nearly nothing

So I come back to my first note, as I must come back to you
I will pour into that one note, all the love I feel for you
Anyone who wants the whole show, re-mi-fa-sol-la-si-do
He will find himself with no show, better play the note you know