聽 “Straighten up and fly right”

這首歌的詞，是採用美國出色的爵士鋼琴演奏家，亦以柔和的男中音聞名的納金高（Nat King Cole）的父親當年在教堂傳教時，用黑人民間故事來當布道主題的內容所寫成的。

故事的主角，禿鷲，是棲息山地、體長約 1.2 米的大型猛禽，由於牠體內胃酸有很強的腐蝕性，食用被細菌感染的屍體也不易生病，所以只吃動物的屍體，很少去獵殺健康的動物。

故事的內容，是說當禿鷲看到適當的獵物時，就上前騙說要帶牠到空中兜風，實際上，是想從高空將牠摔死來充當食物。

有隻猴子以為禿鷲在敦親睦鄰，就欣然騎了上去，正在享受那騰雲駕霧的快感時，發覺禿鷲一下子斗然俯衝，一下子劇烈搖擺，顯然是想把牠從背上摔下來，就趕緊用尾巴纏住禿鷲的脖子好穩著身子。禿鷲在措不及防的情形下，脖子被勒得幾乎透不過氣來，只好急急向猴子求情討饒。

A buzzard took a monkey for a ride in the air
The monkey thought that everything was on the square
（on the square = Informal straightforward; honest; just）
The buzzard tried to throw the monkey off his back
The monkey grabbed his neck and said, "Now listen, Jack"
Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top
（blow your top = to lose one’s temper, to become mad quickly）
Ain't no good in divin'
What's the use in jivin'?
（jiving = To dance a style of lively and jerky dance performed to jazz and, later, to rock and roll, popular esp. in the 1940s and 1950s）
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top
The buzzard told the monkey, "You are chokin' me
Release your hold and I will set you free"
The monkey looked the buzzard right dead in the eye and said
"Your story's so touching, but it sounds just like a lie"
Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and all right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top
Take it away, boys!
Ooh, hold that daddy
Straighten up and fly right
Straighten up and stay right
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top
What’s the use in divin'
Ain't no good in jivin'?
Straighten up and fly right
Cool down, papa, don't you blow your top
Fly right!

歌詞中 “The monkey looked the buzzard right dead in the eye and said” 一句中的 look somebody in the eye 非正式用法 意指在說話時，兩眼瞅著對方的兩眼，表示自己所說的都是真的。informal to look at someone when you are talking to them, especially to show that what you are saying is true.

至於 right dead 只是在加重語氣，Keyshia Cole 唱的 Zero 第一段歌詞的第四句，有相同的用法：
I don’t mind, rushing through traffic just to get dinner ready in time
And I, don’t mind, calling when I’m late just to give you peace of mind
And I, don’t mind, you staying out all night long hanging with the guys
But I do mind, when you look me right dead in the eye and you tell me lies