As a piano player, he formed a jazz trio in 1938 that played Los Angeles nightclubs, one of the first jazz trios featuring guitar and piano. Prior to this he had played music since he was a child and had worked with bands since he was sixteen. He was raised in Chicago and exposed to the abundant jazz scene there. He was heavily influenced by pianist Earl "Fatha" Hines.
Later he became more popularly known as a singer and crooner and his work became more orchestrated.
His first mainstream vocal hit was in 1944 with Straighten Up and Fly Right, based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Although hardly a rocker, the song's success proved that an audience for folk-based material existed. It is considered a predecessor to the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing more pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period with such hits as The Christmas Song (1946), Nature Boy (1948), Mona Lisa (1950), and his signature tune Unforgettable (1951). While this shift to pop music led some jazz critics and fans to accuse Cole of selling out, he never totally abandoned his musical roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album, After Midnight. In 1991, Mosaic Records released the Complete Nat King Cole Trio Recordings on Capitol, which contained 349 songs on twenty-seven LPs or eighteen CDs.
Throughout the 1950s Cole continued to rack up hit after hit, including Smile, Pretend, A Blossom Fell, and If I May. Most of his pop hits were collaborations with famed arranger/conductor Nelson Riddle. It was with Riddle that Cole released his first ten-inch long-play album in 1953 entitled Sings for Two in Love. Several more albums followed, including the Gordon Jenkins arranged Love Is the Thing, which reached number one on the album charts in April 1957.
Inspired by a trip to Havana, Cuba in 1958, Nat went back there that same year and recorded Cole Espanol, an album sung entirely in Spanish and Portuguese. The album was a hit not only in the U.S., but in Latin America as well. The album was so popular, that two others followed: A mis amigos in 1959, and More Cole Espanol in 1962.
Musical tastes were changing in the late 1950s, and despite a successful stab at rock n' roll with Send for Me, Cole's ballad singing had grown old to younger listeners. Like contemporaries Dean Martin, Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, Nat found that the pop singles chart had been almost entirely taken over by youth oriented acts. In 1960, Nat's longtime collaborator Nelson Riddle, left Capitol Records for Frank Sinatra's newly formed Reprise Records label. The two parted ways with one final hit album Wild Is Love, based on lyrics by Ray Rasch and Dotty Wayne. Nat would later re-tool the concept album into an off-Broadway production called I'm With You.
As the 1960s progressed, Nat once again found success on the American singles chart, starting with the country/pop flavored hit Ramblin' Rose in August of 1962. Three more hit singles followed: Dear Lonely Hearts, Those Lazy, Hazy, Crazy Days of Summer, and That Sunday, That Summer. Nat's final album was entitled L.O.V.E, and was recorded in late 1964. It was released just prior to his death and reached number four on the Billboard Albums chart in the spring of 1965. A "Best Of" album went gold in 1968. His 1957 song When I Fall in Love was a chart topping hit for the U.K. in 1987.
Cole was the first African-American to have his own radio program. He repeated that success in the late-1950s with the first truly national television show starring an African-American. In both cases, the programs were ultimately canceled because sponsors shied away from a black artist. Cole fought racism all his life, refusing to perform in segregated venues. In 1956, he was attacked on stage in Birmingham, Alabama by members of the White Citizens' Council who apparently were attempting to kidnap him. Despite injuries, Cole completed the show but vowed never to perform in the South again.
On 23rd August 1956, Cole spoke at the Republican National Convention in the Cow Palace, San Francisco, California. He was also present at the Democratic National Convention in 1960, to throw his support behind President John F. Kennedy. Cole was also among the dozens of entertainers recruited by Frank Sinatra to perform at the Kennedy Inaugural gala in 1961. Nat King Cole frequently consulted with President Kennedy (and later President Johnson) on the issue of civil rights. Yet he was dogged by critics, who felt he shied away from controversy when it came to the civil rights issue. Among the most notable was Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, who was upset that Cole didn't take stronger action after the 1956 on-stage attack.
In 1948, Cole purchased a house in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood in Los Angeles, California. The property owners association told Cole they didn't want any undesirables moving in, to which Cole retorted "Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I'll be the first to complain."
He and his second wife, Maria Ellington, were married in Harlem's Abyssinian Baptist Church by Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. They had five children, including twin girls. Daughter Carol Cole, and son Kelly Cole were adopted. Kelly Cole died in 1995. Nat's daughter, Natalie Cole, and his younger brother, Freddie Cole are also singers.
Natalie and her father had an unexpected hit in the summer of 1991. The younger Cole mixed a 1961 recording of her father's rendition of Unforgettable with her own voice, creating an electronic duet. Both the song and the album of the same name won several Grammy awards the following year.
Cole performed in many short films, and played W. C. Handy in the film Saint Louis Blues. He also appeared in The Nat King Cole Story, China Gate, and The Blue Gardenia.
Nat King Cole was a heavy smoker of Kool menthol cigarettes, believing that smoking up to three packs a day gave his voice the rich sound it had (Cole would smoke several cigarettes in rapid succession before a recording for this very purpose). Cole died of lung cancer at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California, on 15th February 1965. His funeral was held at St. Victor's Catholic Church in West Hollywood, and he was buried in Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Glendale, California. Cat Ballou, his final film, was released several months later.
I Can't Give You Anything But Love
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
Now though I see what our end is,
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find
Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.
The lyrics to Nat Kind Cole's song "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" express the frustrations and limitations of being broke and unable to provide material possessions for a loved one. The lines, "Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid. It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse," reflect the deep sense of despair that comes with financial hardship. The singer acknowledges that their luck has only gone from bad to worse, yet still holds onto a glimmer of hope that they will one day win and reach their prime.
Despite their current circumstances, the singer still dreams and schemes of a future where they can provide for their loved one. The lines, "Dream awhile, scheme awhile, we're sure to find happiness," show a sense of optimism and determination. The singer acknowledges that they can't provide diamond bracelets or other luxurious possessions, but they can offer love, which they have in abundance.
The final stanza encourages the loved one to not be upset about the present, as the singer is willing to wait and adore them no matter what. The line, "You have a lifetime before you, I'll adore you, come what may," reflects the deep and unconditional love that the singer has for their partner, despite their current financial limitations.
Overall, the song "I Can't Give You Anything but Love" emphasizes that true happiness and love cannot be bought with material possessions, and that even in times of financial hardship, love can still thrive and flourish.
Line by Line Meaning
Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
It is difficult to be impoverished, my dear.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Being poor is not a funny matter, it is a burden.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My fortunes have shifted for the worse as time has gone on.
Who knows, some day I will win too.
Perhaps, someday I will be successful as well.
I'll begin to reach my prime.
I will soon reach the peak of my abilities.
Now though I see what our end is, All I can spend is just my time.
I recognize what our fate shall be, and so all I am capable of giving is my companionship.
I can't give you anything but love, baby.
I have no material possessions to offer but my affection.
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
Love, however, is something that I have in abundance.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile We're sure to find Happiness and I guess All those things you've always pined for.
Take time to fantasize and think up plans - I am certain we will uncover the joy and all the things you yearn for.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
I yearn to perceive you in top form, my love.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Even Woolworths cannot provide the extravagant jewelry I desire for you.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
Until the auspicious day arrives, you are well-aware that I am not able to present those material gifts.
You have a lifetime before you.
You possess your entire existence ahead of you.
I'll adore you, come what may.
I shall cherish and love you, no matter what happens.
Please don't be blue for the present, When it's so pleasant to hear you say
In the meantime, do not feel down-hearted. It is delightful to hear your words.
That's the only thing I've plenty of, baby.
Love, however, is something that I have in abundance.
Dream awhile, scheme awhile
Take time to fantasize and think up plans
We're sure to find Happiness and I guess
I am convinced that we shall locate happiness
All those things you've always pined for.
In addition to everything you have ever desired.
Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
I want to perceive you in top form, my love.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
Even Woolworths cannot provide the extravagant jewelry I desire for you.
Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
Until the auspicious day arrives, you are well-aware that I am not able to present those material gifts.
I can't give you anything but love.
I am not able to provide anything aside from my affection.
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Dorothy Fields, Jimmy McHugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Devin G
Correct me if I am wrong, but does this recording contains Peggy Lee on vocals? Earlier today, I heard this song on SRAY Jazz. Due to the vocals, it instantly reminded me of a song entitled “I’m confessing that I love you” which is sung by the great Peggy Lee.
Jan Adamec
It's Anita O'Day on vocals.
Devin G
Jan Adamec Thank you so much, Jan. She has a beautiful voice.
Andreas Prodromitis
thank you for the upload
sighkickchick1
sigh..