El… Read Full Bio ↴Kurt Elling (born November 2, 1967) is an American jazz vocalist.
Elling graduated from Gustavus Adolphus College in St. Peter, Minnesota in 1989. He then enrolled in The University of Chicago's Divinity School and remained a student there until January 1992, when he left school one credit short of graduation.
In the last decade, Elling has released seven albums for the Blue Note label. He has also performed and recorded with many musicians, including David Amram, Bob Belden, Joanne Brackeen, Oscar Brown, Jr., Billy Corgan, Orbert Davis, George Freeman, Buddy Guy, Jon Hendricks, Charlie Hunter and Rex Richardson.
As of late 2005, Elling's current band includes Rob Amster on bass, Laurence Hobgood on piano, and Kobe Watkins on drums. He is regularly featured at the Green Mill Cocktail Lounge at 4802 N. Broadway in Chicago.
Elling has won the Down Beat and JazzTimes critics’ polls three years in a row in the Best Male Singer category. He is also Vice Chair of the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, the 17,000-member service organization that produces the annual Grammy Awards.
Nature Boy
Kurt Elling Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
Close your eyes
rest your head on my shoulder and sleep
Close your eyes
And I will close mine
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
Kurt Elling's song "Nature Boy" is a ballad that tells the story of a boy who wanders over land and sea. The song describes the boy as strange and enchanted, with a hint of sadness in his eyes. However, despite his shyness, the boy is very wise.
As the song progresses, the singer recalls how he came across the boy one day, and they spoke of many things, including fools and kings. It is here that the boy imparts his wisdom, telling the singer to close his eyes and rest his head on his shoulder. The boy advises the singer that the greatest thing he will ever learn is to love and be loved in return.
The lyrics of "Nature Boy" paint a picture of a mysterious figure who possesses a unique sense of wisdom. The message of the song is clear: that love is the most important thing in life. The boy, who is perhaps meant to represent the essence of nature, imparts this message to the singer, urging him to cherish and embrace love.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a boy
Once upon a time, there was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
This boy was peculiar and possessed an otherworldly charm
They say he wandered very far, very far
It is rumored that he journeyed to great and distant places
Over land and sea
He traveled across continents and oceans
A little shy and sad of eye
While timid and melancholy in appearance
But very wise was he
He was knowledgeable beyond his years
And then one day
One fateful day
A magic day he passed my way
He passed by me on a day imbued with enchantment
And while we spoke of many things
During our conversation covering various topics
Fools and kings
From the ignorant to the royal
This he said to me
He imparted this knowledge to me
Close your eyes
Shut your eyes
rest your head on my shoulder and sleep
Lean on my shoulder and doze off
Close your eyes
Shut your eyes
And I will close mine
And I shall shut mine
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
"The pinnacle achievement in your lifetime
Is just to love and be loved in return"
Is simply to love someone and have that same love reciprocated
Writer(s): Eden Ahbez, James Brown Copyright: Crestview-music Corp., Dynatone Publishing Company, Edwin H. Morris & Co. Inc.
Contributed by Blake Y. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@felixade
15yrs in and I still love these presentations by Kurt Elling ❤️
@MichaelGoldenberg
Clearly, Kurt Elling's passion is frightening to some. Their loss. I've seen him six or seven times in person and he never disappoints. The best male jazz singer on the planet.
@pepegreenos4359
have you visited other plents?
@MichaelGoldenberg
@Pepe Greenos Only the jazz clubs.
@toolboxevolution7456
Period.
@patrickscutella836
I envy the freedom he sings with.
@phillipbledsoejr.6667
is there a version of this song on spotify?
@CommandanteMarco
He is killing it. Every time I listen to his passionate interpretation it makes me lose some tears. The drum solo is nailing it too...
@MeelaESQ
That drummer is EVERYTHING!
@petercallaway3376
MeelaESQ Kobie Watkins from Chicago.