"It's Good Enough To Keep (Air Mail Special)" lyrics - THE MANHATTAN TRANSFER

The jam is jumpin'
The drums are pumpin'
The groove is lockin' in the rhythm like we want it to be

No time for stallin'
We're really haulin'
We've gotta keep it in the pocket or we'll stagger behind

You never know just when to leave it when you're riffin' in time
Or if the time itself will falter, or of words even rhyme
But we admit, the trick to it is not to think about it
When you're busy bravin' all the notes in the line

This time we mean it
We're gonna swing it
And take you right up to the end before we try to unwind

[Alan's solo:]
I've never been the kind of guy who could just normally quit
Never could decide when to rest my pride
And feel all right with just good enough
Thoughts, they gather
Tellin' me to look to find a bright new way
To assemble all the stimulated motives that haunt me
Tryin' a live it, be in the moment, tryin' to sing it alone
Can beckon to me, a feelin' of being bent
So I believe, takin' a leave is the brightest way to stop
All the chatter boxin' going 'round in my brain
So I'm wailin' - movin' and groovin' this part of this song
I hope that my riff's good enough to keep
Better leave it now or go out of my mind

[Violin Solo]
[Tim's solo:]
Now I dig you think that perfect's what we should make it
But I've been down that road and I can tell ya how we feel's
The most important thing about it
Whether you're right or whether you might think
We're pathetic
A little lighter on the reins will help you loosen up the chains
That are still binding you -
In the past, whenever thoughts I had would try to re-
Evaluate all that i would do
I'd hesitate, consolidate, and motivate
All the little pearls of doubt that strive to break up
Every single bit of
Precious joy that flowed from God's soul spark that
Shines within me
That's it in a nut shell
So take advice from this sap, go for feel and leave it alone

[Mandolin Solo:]
Now's the time to sing
Swing is what we bring
Rhythm that's the thing
To really get your spirit movin' higher

Gonna jump and play
Dance the night away
Make you really sway
And let the music take you even higher

E-lla sang this song real special
Come on, come on - we'll sing this special song for you

One more one we'll go
But before we blow
We want you to know
The take is really good enough, we'll keep it!