"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.
still
Freddy Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I'm without you once again.
You laughed at me, you said you've never needed me,
I wonder if you need me now.
We played the grams that people play, we made mistakes along the way.
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me.
Remembering the pain, if I must say, it's deep in my mind and locked away,
But then most of all, I do love you
Those memories, times I'm sure we'll never forget,
Those feelings we can't put aside.
For what we had, sometimes I try to understand,
But it's so heavy on my mind.
So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say.
Two people lost in a storm, where did we go, where'd we go?
Lost what we both had found, you know we let each other down.
But then most of all, I do love you
Still.
We played the games that people play,
We made mistakes along the way.
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me.
Cause I needed you so desperately.
We were too blind to see, but then,
Most of all, I do love you
The lyrics to Freddy Cole's song "Still" convey a bittersweet sadness of love lost yet still cherished in memory. The singer is alone again without the woman he loves, who once claimed she didn't need him but he wonders if she does now. Despite the mistakes they made in their relationship and the pain that is locked away in his mind, he still loves her deeply. The memories and feelings they shared are something they cannot put aside, and he tries to understand what happened between them, but his love for her continues to linger even though they let each other down.
The lyrics touch on the classic themes of love and loss, the pain of regret, and the yearning for what can't be regained. It's a beautiful and emotional song, sung with a straightforward honesty that brings out the vulnerability in the singer's voice. The melody is simple yet memorable, with a timeless quality that speaks to the universality of the emotions being expressed.
Overall, "Still" is a poignant and heartfelt exploration of the complexities of love and the lingering power of memory.
Line by Line Meaning
Lady, morning's just a moment away,
It's early in the morning and I can feel the day coming, but I am alone without you once again.
And I'm without you once again.
I am missing you once more and feeling the pain of being without you.
You laughed at me, you said you've never needed me,
You once told me that you never needed me and even laughed at my suggestion that you did.
I wonder if you need me now.
I am now questioning if your feelings have changed and if you actually do need me now.
We played the games that people play, we made mistakes along the way.
We acted like everyone else, playing games and making mistakes in our relationship.
Somehow I know deep in my heart, you needed me.
Despite what you may have said, my heart tells me that you did need me at one point.
Remembering the pain, if I must say, it's deep in my mind and locked away,
The pain I felt from our mistakes and failures is still with me, buried deep in my mind.
But then most of all, I do love you Still.
Despite everything that has happened, I still love you more than anything else.
Those memories, times I'm sure we'll never forget,
The memories of our time together are unforgettable and will always stay with us.
Those feelings we can't put aside.
The love and emotions we shared during our time together cannot be forgotten or ignored.
For what we had, sometimes I try to understand,
I often reflect on what we had and try to understand why it didn't work out.
But it's so heavy on my mind.
The burden of our failed relationship weighs heavily on my mind and heart.
So many dreams that flew away, so many words we didn't say.
We missed out on so many opportunities and lost so many hopes and dreams by not speaking up and working through our problems.
Two people lost in a storm, where did we go, where'd we go?
We were two people who got lost in the chaos of our relationship problems and couldn't find our way back to each other.
Lost what we both had found, you know we let each other down.
We lost the love and happiness that we had once found together and it was because we let each other down.
But then most of all, I do love you Still.
Despite everything that has happened, I still love you more than anything else.
We played the games that people play,
We acted like everyone else, playing games and making mistakes in our relationship.
Cause I needed you so desperately.
I was in desperate need of your love and attention.
We were too blind to see, but then,
We were both blinded by our problems and mistakes and couldn't see the truth that was right in front of us.
Most of all, I do love you Still.
Despite everything that has happened, I still love you more than anything else.
Lyrics © Wixen Music Publishing, BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Capitol CMG Publishing, Spirit Music Group, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc., Ashleriah Music
Written by: Lionel Richie
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Edie Anderson
Beautiful