“Don’t start none, won’t be none”

From the PBS NewsHour tonight, Jonathan Capehart, talking about redistricting congressional districts before the midterm elections:

“I think of James Brown and his song ‘Static.’ And there’s a great line in it that says, ‘Don’t start none, won’t be none.’ And had the president not gone to Governor Abbott and said Give me five seats, then you wouldn’t have had Governor Newsom jump out there and say, Oh, wait, what? No, we’re going to do something.

“So as much as we say that the president started this, I want to give kudos to Governor Newsom for having the backbone and the spine to stand up and say, this is not going to happen. As bad as gerrymandering is — and elections should determine who elected officials are — when one side is trying to cheat before our eyes, we have to do something in response. And I’m glad he did.”

“Static” is a fun ride.

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An earlier musical example, from 1938: the Harlem Hamfats’ “Don’t Start No Stuff.”

[My punctuation and paragraphing.]