Conversation so far:
who wrote it don't mean a thing
It Don't Mean a Thing is a 1931 composition by Duke Ellington, whose lyrics were written by Irving Mills.
what is the history behind the composition of it don't mean a thing
The music was composed and arranged by Ellington in August 1931 during intermissions at Chicago's Lincoln Tavern and was first recorded by Ellington for Brunswick Records on February 2, 1932.
did it don't mean a thing win any awards or earn any recognition
Ellington's 1932 recording of the song It Don't Mean a Thing was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 2008.

Question: where did the title come from
Self-contained rewrite: where did the title it don't mean a thing come from