Green attended Emerson College briefly in 1998 before leaving to concentrate on his music, going on to co-found the anti folk group The Moldy Peaches with Kimya Dawson. In 2004 The Moldy Peaches went on hiatus and both Green and Dawson embarked on solo careers.
Green released several albums on Rough Trade Records. Among his better known songs are "Jessica" (about singer Jessica Simpson), "Novotel", "Friends of Mine", "Dance with Me", "Carolina" and "Emily", and, in Britain, his cover of The Libertines track "What a Waster".
Prior to Jacket Full of Danger in 2006, all of Green's albums had been released on the 22nd of the month. His latest album was released on March 18, 2008 and is titled Sixes & Sevens. Titles include "Morning After Midnight", "Twee Twee Dee", and "Drowning Head First", the latter a duet between Green and his girlfriend.
In January 2008, The Moldy Peaches began having a resurgence in popularity, due to their music being included in the hit indie film Juno.
Nat King Cole
Adam Green Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But I wish she would bring me a place of morning spectacular life,
Make it last just a few, brother's knew, brother's lovers proclaim,
Down at the subway station, just a few brother's mothers remain,
Oh help the children,
Down at the television station momma,
You're bored, getting tired,
Just like those bored down now second old cures,
That we said, hubba hubba,
Just like that funny little lady momma,
Tidy and clean, just like butter,
Yeah
Oh everybody no no no Nat King Cole,
No no no Nat King Cole
No no Nat no no Nat no no Nat King Cole,
Baby,
You're giving birth to a jealous lover, baby
The situation is out of your hands, momma,
A funny little lady, and Johnny laid a flower,
They gonna get me, momma,
Going home now, yeah
Now I've been monkey-ing around, but a beat, bobbing free-wheeling guy,
But this lean Adam Green found this motel is how I get by,
I got a hole in my berol, Cheryl,
She let me out in the cold,
I got a hundred one fever, momma,
Should not be acting so old,
She acted so old now, yeah,
Woo, break it down now,
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole,
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole,
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
The lyrics to Adam Green's song Nat King Cole are a collection of disjointed phrases and images that can be interpreted in different ways. The song begins with the singer expressing a desire to be with Darlene in a place of "morning spectacular life," suggesting a longing for something beyond the ordinary. However, the references to "tragic" and "brother's lovers" hint at a more complex and possibly dark situation. The mention of a subway station and mothers waiting there suggests a connection to poverty and struggle.
The song then shifts to a scene at a television station, where the "maître d" or head waiter is getting fired. This, along with the reference to "bored down now second old cures," suggests a commentary on the entertainment industry and its shallow, fleeting nature. The singer mentions a "funny little lady" who is "tidy and clean, just like butter," which could be a reference to a stereotypical 1950s housewife.
The chorus of the song, with its repetitive refrain of "Nat King Cole," seems to be a way of breaking up the disjointed series of images and bringing them together. However, it's unclear what the significance of Nat King Cole is in this context. The final lines of the song mention a "lean Adam Green" and a woman named Cheryl, suggesting that the song might be autobiographical in some way.
Overall, the lyrics of Nat King Cole are open to interpretation and suggest a mixture of nostalgia, longing, and commentary on various aspects of culture and society.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh I'm going with Darlene in a tragical part of the night,
I am going out with Darlene during the darkest part of the night
But I wish she would bring me a place of morning spectacular life,
I wish she could show me a place where life is full of wonder and joy
Make it last just a few, brother's knew, brother's lovers proclaim,
Let this moment of joy last just a little while, and let my friends and their loved ones share in it
Down at the subway station, just a few brother's mothers remain,
There are only a few mothers left waiting at the subway station for their sons
Oh help the children,
We must help the children who are suffering
Down at the television station momma,
At the television station, momma
You're bored, getting tired,
You're getting bored and tired
But baby you ain't trying to warn me that the maître d getting fired,
You're not trying to warn me that the maître d' is getting fired
Just like those bored down now second old cures,
Just like those old cures that are no longer effective
That we said, hubba hubba,
That we said, hubba hubba
Just like that funny little lady momma,
Just like that funny little lady, momma
Tidy and clean, just like butter,
Neat and clean, just like butter
Yeah
Yeah
Oh everybody no no no Nat King Cole,
Oh, everyone, no, no, no to Nat King Cole
No no no Nat King Cole
No, no, no to Nat King Cole
No no Nat no no Nat no no Nat King Cole,
No, no, Nat, no, no, Nat, no, no to Nat King Cole
Baby,
Baby
You're giving birth to a jealous lover, baby
You're creating a lover who will be jealous and possessive, baby
The situation is out of your hands, momma,
The situation is beyond your control, momma
A funny little lady, and Johnny laid a flower,
A funny little lady and Johnny left a flower
They gonna get me, momma,
They're going to get me, momma
Going home now, yeah
Going home now, yeah
Now I've been monkey-ing around, but a beat, bobbing free-wheeling guy,
I've been fooling around, but I'm a guy who moves to his own beat
But this lean Adam Green found this motel is how I get by,
But this lean Adam Green found this motel is how I survive
I got a hole in my berol, Cheryl,
I have a hole in my pocket from my Berol pen, Cheryl
She let me out in the cold,
She left me out in the cold
I got a hundred one fever, momma,
I have a high fever, momma
Should not be acting so old,
I shouldn't be feeling so old
She acted so old now, yeah,
She acted old, now, yeah
Woo, break it down now,
Woo, break it down now
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole,
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole,
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole, Nat King Cole
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADAM GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Kaschmir
i love his voice in this song for real. even stronger and deeper than usual.
@jurgens.8019
One of the best musicians i have ever heard!
@WadeAppleton
Are you joking?! The album is amazing! Novotel, Hollywood Bowl, and Pay the Toll are all AMAZING songs.
@Taps16
I got the albem, Jacked Full of Danger, as a gift. I didn't knew about Adam Green, so I when i looked at the album and heard his voice I got a chok. first I didn't really like his music, but after a little really saw how cool he is!! awesome!!
@Ieatbabyseals
Such an awesome song
@Orzomacchiato
beautiful - bellissimo wonderful - stupendo fantastic - fantastico i love this song!
@skiavidelarge
stupendo...bravissimo, bellissima voce musica fantastica... W Adam Green
@HeleneForever0086
Vraiment sympa !
@Schibiza
great vid! I like the dancing old man! :D
@Sophael999
awesome!!!!!! his voice is better than NAT KING COLE´s, Elvis Presley and many more´s.