"I started playing piano at five or six," Freddy remembers. "Music was all around me." In the Chicago home of his youth, visitors included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, and Lionel Hampton. He also credits Billy Eckstine as a major influence. " He was a fantastic entertainer," Freddy recalls. " I learned so much from just watching and being around him." After a possible career with the NFL was shelved due to a hand injury, he began playing and singing in Chicago clubs as a teenager. Although he was ready to hit the road at 18, his mother intervened and he continued his musical education at the Roosevelt Institute in Chicago.
Freddy moved to New York in 1951, where he studied at the Juilliard School of Music and found himself profoundly influenced by John Lewis, Oscar Peterson and Teddy Wilson. He got a Master's degree at the New England Conservatory of Music and then spent several months on the road as a member of an Earl Bostic band that also included Johnny Coles and Benny Golson.
It was back in New York that Freddy successfully laid the groundwork for a career that continues to flourish to this day. He developed a vast repertoire of songs in Manhattan bistros and concurrently began to supplement his live performances with television and radio commercial jingle work.
A resident of Atlanta since 1972, he currently leads a trio made up of himself, guitarist Jerry Byrd, drummer Curtis Boyd and bassist Elias Bailey that regularly tours the US, Europe, the Far East and South America. Freddy has been a recording artist since 1952, when his first single, "The Joke's on Me", was released on an obscure Chicago-based label.
Freddy recorded several albums for European and English companies during the 1970s that helped him develop a loyal overseas following. Cole believes that becoming an international favorite made him "widen my scope a little bit." He developed a stand-up act, a better rapport with audiences, and learned to sing in other languages. "It made me much more of a performer."
Cole doesn't apologize for sounding like his brother, Nat "King" Cole. There are certain unmistakable similarities. He plays piano and sings and performs live with guitar and upright bass, just like Nat. Yet his voice is raspier, smokier, jazzier even. But he has emerged from the awesome shadow cast by his elder brother. In truth, his phrasing is far closer to that of Frank Sinatra or Billie Holiday than that of his brother and his timing swings a little more. His vocals - suave, elegant, formidable, and articulate - are among the most respected in jazz. Cole's career continues to ascend as he has moved into the front ranks of America's homegrown art form with a style and musical sophistication all his own.
Blame It On My Youth
Freddy Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Blame it on my youth.
If only for you I did exist,
Blame it on my youth.
I believed in everything,
Like a child of three;
You meant more than anything,
If you were on my mind all night and day,
Blame it on my youth.
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
The first lines of this song by Freddy Cole, "Blame it on My Youth," speaks of the consequences of a naïve heart. The singer confesses that if he expected love when he first kissed, it's all due to his youthfulness. He then goes on to attest to his belief and trust in everything, seeing life through a child's eyes. However, when he met his significant other, they became his whole world. If his thoughts were centered on them alone, it's all because of his youth. He even forgot about his essential needs such as eating, sleeping, and praying because of his infatuation towards his lover.
Towards the end of the song, the singer admits to shedding a tear or two when he learned the truth. He acknowledges that it wasn't his heart that was at fault but instead laments that it was his youth that led him to feel so deeply. The song, therefore, evokes an image of innocent, albeit sometimes foolish infatuation that many of us experience in our youth. The lyrics convey a sense of longing, regret, and nostalgia for an era where life was much more simplified.
Line by Line Meaning
If I expected love when first we kissed,
Blame it on my youth.
I was young and naive when we first kissed, and I thought it was love. But later in life, I realized it was just my youth and inexperience.
If only for you I did exist,
Blame it on my youth.
When I was young, I thought the world revolved around you. But looking back, I now see that it was just youthful infatuation and a lack of experience.
I believed in everything,
Like a child of three;
You meant more than anything,
All the world to me!
In my youth, I was innocent and believed in everything. You were everything to me, and I held you in the highest regard.
If you were on my mind all night and day,
Blame it on my youth.
When I was young, I couldn't get you out of my head. It wasn't that I was obsessed, but rather that I lacked experience and didn't know how to control my feelings.
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray,
Blame it on my youth.
In my youth, my emotions and feelings were all-consuming. I would forget to take care of myself because I was so preoccupied with you and our relationship.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
When I was young, I was hurt and upset when I learned the truth about our relationship. But, it was just my youth and inexperience that made me react that way, and not a flaw in my character.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Edward Heyman, Oscar Levant
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
김성수
If I expected love when first we kissed,
Blame it on my youth.
If only for you I did exist,
Blame it on my youth.
I believed in everything,
Like a child of three;
You meant more than anything,
All the world to me!
If you were on my mind all night and day,
Blame it on my youth.
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
notrik leinad
One of the best renditions of this song
mslinda freeman
You have great phrasing and a beautiful voice! Glad I found you Freddy. I love the sixties music as jazz was still around from the fifties. Such good players came from that era, Dizzy, Miles, Oscar, Chet, Joe Pass, just a few... and my hero's; Ella, Carman, Della, This music will live forever
rainbowkeys711
One of the greatest voices,ever. sigh
The1baddman
Rest In Peace Mr Freddy Cole.
enrique candela perez
Muy bueno Fredy Cole
Kingsley Pedlar
Great rendition. Realizing now that he's right up there in greatness with his brother Nat. Thanks for the post.
Steven Roland
Timeless.
BahamaWynters
Thanks so much for naming the band members. Essential. Great song; long time since I have heard it this well. Nat Cole was always very, very good.
Corey Brown
So relaxing and romantic!
김성수
If I expected love when first we kissed,
Blame it on my youth.
If only for you I did exist,
Blame it on my youth.
I believed in everything,
Like a child of three;
You meant more than anything,
All the world to me!
If you were on my mind all night and day,
Blame it on my youth.
If I forgot to eat and sleep and pray,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.
If I cried a little bit
When first I learned the truth,
Don't blame it on my heart,
Blame it on my youth.