Nature Boy
Nat Lyrics
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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
And then one day
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return
Nat King Cole's song "Nature Boy" is a beautiful and profound piece that speaks about a mysterious boy who wanders far and wide. The boy is described as strange and enchanted and has a wise and melancholic demeanor. The lyrics suggest that the boy has gained insight and wisdom from his travels and experiences. When the singer encounters him, they engage in conversation about the complexities of life, from the foolishness of some to the power of others. During this conversation, the boy reveals an essential truth- that the greatest achievement in life is to love and be loved in return.
The song's overall message is that love is the most important and valuable experience one can have in life. The boy's words to the singer emphasize the significance of loving others and being loved in return. In essence, the song celebrates human connection and the power of love to transform individuals and the world around them. The message is both timeless and universal, resonating with many people across cultures and generations.
Overall, "Nature Boy" is a beautiful and timeless song that inspires listeners to embrace love as a fundamental aspect of the human experience. The story of the mysterious boy and his words of wisdom remind us of the importance of connection, empathy and compassion.
Line by Line Meaning
There was a boy
Once upon a time, there was a boy.
A very strange enchanted boy
This boy was rather peculiar and seemed to have a magical presence about him.
They say he wandered very far, very far
Legend has it that this boy traveled great distances.
Over land and sea
He journeyed across both land and water.
A little shy and sad of eye
Despite his mystical nature, he was still somewhat introverted and appeared to have a hint of sadness in his eyes.
But very wise was he
Despite his youth, the boy had a remarkable amount of wisdom.
And then one day
On a seemingly ordinary day, something extraordinary happened.
A magic day he passed my way
This boy had an almost otherworldly quality about him and on this day, he crossed paths with me.
And while we spoke of many things
We engaged in conversation and discussed a variety of topics.
Fools and kings
We conversed about both the foolish and the powerful.
This he said to me
And then, he said something to me that I'll never forget.
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
He imparted upon me the knowledge that the single most important lesson in life is this.
Is just to love and be loved in return
The most important thing we can do is to give and receive love.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Eden Ahbez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jeremiah Ortega
-----------LYRIC--------------
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
And then one day,
One magic day he passed my way
While we spoke of many things
Fools and Kings
This he said to me:
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
amarjit bamrah
The strange encounter of Nat King Cole with Eden Ahbez...
"In the late 40s, there was a rumor that there was a "hermit," disenchanted and disillusioned with the world, supposedly "out-of-sync" with society, living in California in a cave under one of the L’s in the Hollywood sign.
No one really cared about this strange man, until one night in 1947, when someone tried to enter backstage at the Lincoln Theater in Los Angeles. Nat King Cole was playing there, and the man said he had something for Cole.
Of course, the employees didn't let the strange man see Cole, so he gave whatever he had to Cole's manager.
What he had was a song sheet, which Cole would later take a look at. Cole liked the song and wanted to record it, but he had to find the strange man. When asked, the people who saw the man said he was strange, indeed, with shoulder-length hair and beard, wearing sandals and a white robe.
Cole finally tracked him down in New York City. When Cole asked him where he was staying, the strange man declared he was staying at the best hotel in New York - outside, literally, in Central Park. He said his name was eden ahbez (spelled all in lower-case letters).
The song he gave Cole was titled, "Nature Boy." It became Cole's first big hit, and was soon covered by other artists through the years, from Frank Sinatra and Sarah Vaughan to Tony Bennett and Lady Gaga, most recently.
Of course, the media went crazy about the strange, mysterious man who handed Nat King Cole, one of the biggest hits during that time. Everyone went out to try to find out more about him.
What little they found was that he was once an orphan, who never stayed at one place very long, living in various foster homes. He explained he just never fit in and was always searching, for something.
["They say he wandered very far...
Very far, over land and sea..."
They found out he would hop freight trains and walked across country several times, subsisting solely on raw fruits and vegetables, then one day he completely vanished.
["A little shy and sad of eye...
But very wise was he..."]
He finally showed up again in the Hollywood hills. When a policeman stopped the strange, long-haired man with beard, sandals, and robe, ahbez simply replied, "I look crazy but I'm not. And the funny thing is that other people don't look crazy but they are."
["And then one day...
One magic day he passed my way..."]
No one seems to really know why he selected Cole, there were some rumors that he came out of hiding when he began to hear about the racism going on and trouble throughout the world, and he thought "King" was the best person at that time to pass his message along.
["While we spoke of many things...
Fools and Kings..."]
When he was asked about racism, he replied, "Some white people hate black people, and some white people love black people, some black people hate white people, and some black people love white people. So you see it's not an issue of black and white, it's an issue of Lovers and Haters."
It was that theme of love that he continued to talk about, what was missing in the world, and what would be needed in the future if we are to survive.
ahbez would eventually get his message out, especially after the counter-culture finally caught up with him and the hippie movement began, when other artists such as Donovan, Grace Slick, and the Beach Boys' Brian Wilson sought him out. He also wrote songs for Eartha Kitt and had another song recorded by Sam Cooke.
In 2009, Congressman Bill Aswad recited the last lyrics of the song before the Vermont House of Representatives at the passing of his state's same-sex marriage bill in '09.
Author Raymond Knapp described the track as a "mystically charged vagabond song" whose lyrics evoked an intense sense of loss and haplessness, with the final line delivering a universal truth, described by Knapp as "indestructible" and "salvaged somehow from the perilous journey of life."
["This he said to me...
The greatest thing you'll ever learn...
Is just to love and be loved in return."]
➖➖➖
"George Alexander Aberle (April 15, 1908 – March 4, 1995), known as eden ahbez, was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s to 1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential in the hippie movement.
He was known to friends simply as ahbe.
Ahbez composed the song "Nature Boy", which became a No. 1 hit for eight weeks in 1948 for Nat "King" Cole.
Living a bucolic life from at least the 1940s, he traveled in sandals and wore shoulder-length hair and beard, and white robes. He camped out below the first L in the Hollywood Sign above Los Angeles and studied Oriental mysticism. He slept outdoors with his family and ate vegetables, fruits, and nuts. He claimed to live on three dollars per week.
In the mid 1950s, he wrote songs for Eartha Kitt, Frankie Laine, and others, as well as writing some rock-and-roll novelty songs. In 1957, his song "Lonely Island" was recorded by Sam Cooke, becoming the second and final Ahbez composition to hit the Top 40.
In 1959, he began recording instrumental music, which combined his signature somber tones with exotic arrangements and (according to the record sleeve) "primitive rhythms". He often performed bongo, flute, and poetry gigs at beat coffeehouses in the Los Angeles area. In 1960, he recorded his only solo LP, Eden's Island, for Del-Fi Records. This mixed beatnik poetry with exotica arrangements. Ahbez promoted the album through a coast-to-coast walking tour making personal appearances, but it sold poorly.
During the 1960s, ahbez released five singles. Grace Slick's band, the Great Society, recorded a version of "Nature Boy" in 1966 and ahbez was photographed in the studio with Brian Wilson during a session for the Smile album in early 1967.
Later that year, British singer Donovan sought out ahbez in Palm Springs, and the two wanderers shared a reportedly "near-telepathic" conversation. In the 1970s, Big Star's Alex Chilton recorded a version of "Nature Boy" with the photographer William Eggleston on piano. The song was finally released as a bonus track on the 1992 Rykodisc re-release of the album Third/Sister Lovers.
In 1974, ahbez was reported to be living in the Los Angeles suburb of Sunland, and he owned a record label named Sunland Records, for which he was recording under the name "Eden Abba." From the late 1980s until his death, ahbez worked closely with Joe Romersa, an engineer/drummer in Los Angeles. The master tapes, photos, and final works of eden ahbez are in Romersa's possession.
Ahbez died on March 4, 1995, of injuries sustained in a car accident, at the age of 86. Another album, Echoes from Nature Boy, was released posthumously."
Twb :3
Traduçao
Garoto da Natureza
Havia um menino
Havia um menino
Um menino muito estranho e encantado
Dizem que ele vagava muito longe, muito longe
Por terra e mar
Um pouco tímido e de olhar triste
Mas muito sábio ele era
E, então, em um dia
Um dia mágico, ele passou pelo meu caminho
E enquanto falávamos de muitas coisas
Tolos e reis
Isso ele me disse
A única e maior coisa que você irá aprender
É simplesmente amar e ser amado em troca
Ashley Brooks
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
And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
"The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return"
Very simple lyrics, but extremely powerful message. Nat King Cole was ahead of his time in so many ways.
Bruce Boschek
I was 7 years old when he first sang this and it spoke to me hauntingly because I spent summers up in the northern woods of Wisconsin, just with my parents, and I my mom had always called me "Nature Boy" since I spent so much time alone in the forest. I had never seen him perform it, only heard it on the radio. Thank you for sharing this. I am now 80 years old and still feel connected to this song.
JayP
Respect to you Sir. That's a lovely story that resonates
Linda Kelley
I am the same age as you and lived outside Milwaukee when this was popular. It always fascinated me and has been one of my favorites for many years!
Bruce Boschek
@Linda Kelley The first time I heard it was in the car with my parents, driving from south of Chicago up to the north woods of Wisconsin where we had a summer home. I remember it well because it sounded so melancholy and somehow it really affected me. It was 1948 and you and I were just 9 years old. Long, long ago. Thanks for the memory.
Linda Kelley
@Bruce Boschek And you, as well! I think we were fortunate to be raised in the days of truly gifted singers woh had no angles and weird get-ups to garner attention.
Michael Nguyen
Thanks for sharing this memory. It sounds so beautiful. How timeless is this song? I can relate to it as well.
Randy Barnett
Mr Cole could sing of course but his piano playing was really under-rated. What a wonderful gift he shared with us.
Geny Sh
Мне 63 г.Живу в России.Услышал cover на эту опесню от прекрасной русской оперной певицы,которая всю жизнь живет в Канаде и в Италии
Ekaterina Shelehova.Пришел к вам.Какая красота,какое божественное исполнение.Гитара супер.История написания текста просто фантастическая.Спасибо всем.
StripeRich
I was mesmerized at age 8 (1948) by this song, and it became the first song I could sing by heart. I have virtually worshiped Nat King Cole all of my life. I attended many of his appearances in the '50's, had all his albums, shook his hand, and was close enough to the stage at one concert (security was lax, largely unnecessary in those days) to feel flecks of saliva on my face from his ample mouth. (That mouth being a major factor in his extraordinary enunciation of lyrics.) I did not wash my face for days afterward, and years later (1965) was utterly grief-stricken at his untimely passing.
Jake McClintock
Yup, he sure had a King-sized mouth all right. I wonder how much that played into how well he sang? This is a good version of it because he's on the piano, too, and the guitar player sure was skilled. I also recall when he died. It was around Christmas, wasn't it? I remember them playing "Chestnuts Roasting O'er and Open Fire" and then the bad news about his untimely passing. I inherited a several record set of his music and it is so crisp and well recorded, with violins sounding clear piercing and wonderful. I especially liked this one and "That Sunday, That Summer." The musicians and singers of today couldn't touch this guy with a ten-foot pole, that is, unless they are another one of those very talented and hard working people who labor in obscurity, like all the decent and truly worthwhile people who are utterly ignored in these Dark Ages, which has been going on for most of my life. Back then, things were very different indeed.