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.
Look No Further
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Look no further, be still,
Don't move an inch away, stay!
Stay with one who loves you,
Look no further, dear.
No more searching, that's through,
Friend has turned to lover,
Look no further, dear.
Why must you wander?
Heaven isn't far,
Rest where you are,
I'm the nearest star!
I can see you right there,
Making my life complete, sweet.
Sweet is to hold you,
Look no further, dear,
Look no further, dear.
Look no further, be still,
Don't move an inch away, stay!
Stay with one who loves you,
Look no further, dear.
Why must you wander?
Heaven isn't far,
Rest where you are,
I'm the nearest star!
I can see you right there,
Making my life complete, sweet.
Sweet is to hold you,
Look no further, dear,
Look no further, dear.
Look no further!
In "Look No Further," Nat King Cole is offering a message of reassurance to his lover to stay with him and look no further for love. He tells her to be still and not wander anymore because he is the one who loves her and will make her life complete. The singer reminds his lover that heaven is not far away and urges her to rest where she is. He even tells her that he is the nearest star, which signifies that he is luminous and bright, a source of warmth and comfort to his lover.
The lyrics demonstrate Cole's ability to capture the essence of love and present it in a beautiful and romantic way. He employs metaphors such as "I'm the nearest star" to describe how his love shines bright in his lover's life. He also offers a sense of finality, that the search for love is over and she has arrived at her destination. The singer's message is clear: his love is the answer to his lover's search for happiness, and she needs to look no further than him.
Overall, "Look No Further" is a beautiful love song that speaks to the heart of anyone who has ever searched for love. It is about finding that special someone who can complete you and make your life whole. With his smooth voice and heartfelt delivery, Nat King Cole conveys the message of the song perfectly, leaving listeners with a warm and fuzzy feeling.
Line by Line Meaning
Look no further, look no further.
Don't search anymore, the answer is right in front of you.
Look no further, be still,
Stay in one place and pay attention,
Don't move an inch away, stay!
Don't leave, stay here with me.
Stay with one who loves you,
Choose to be with the one who loves you,
No more searching, that's through,
You've found what you're looking for,
This is journey's end, friend.
The journey is over, my friend.
Friend has turned to lover,
The person you were just friends with is now your lover.
Why must you wander?
Why do you have to keep searching?
Heaven isn't far,
You don't have to go far to find happiness.
Rest where you are,
Stop moving and settle right here.
I'm the nearest star!
I'm the one who can give you what you're looking for.
I can see you right there,
I can see you right in front of me,
Making my life complete, sweet.
Being with you completes my life and makes it sweeter.
Sweet is to hold you,
It's sweet to hold you.
Look no further, dear,
There's no need to keep searching my dear,
Look no further, be still,
Stay where you are and focus on me,
Don't move an inch away, stay!
Don't go anywhere, stay here with me.
Stay with one who loves you,
Stay with the person who loves and cares for you.
Look no further, dear.
There's no need to look elsewhere my dear, you've found what you're looking for.
Why must you wander?
Why do you have to keep searching?
Heaven isn't far,
Happiness is right here, you don't have to go far.
Rest where you are,
Stop searching and settle right here.
I'm the nearest star!
I'm the one who can give you everything you need.
I can see you right there,
I see you standing right in front of me,
Making my life complete, sweet.
Being with you brings completeness to my life and makes it sweeter.
Sweet is to hold you,
Holding you is the sweetest thing I know.
Look no further, dear,
There's no need to search anymore my dear,
Look no further, dear.
There's no need to look elsewhere my dear, you've found what you're looking for.
Look no further!
You don't have to search anymore!
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: R. RODGERS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Emmett Riley
What I love so much about this song is, it's melodic, simple, beautiful, well arranged, and well orchestrated. Nat and Ralph Carmichael was a great team. Their collaboration produced a great songs. Nat's voice was even greater with the orchestration that complimented his voice. Ralph Carmichael did this well along with Gordon Jenkins.
Kristopher Wright
Probably my favorite Nat King Cole song. My wife and I had some of our friends sing it at our wedding, but Nat did it the best.
Simavi Uluc
Magnificent !
Hetty H
very beautiful song,thank you
Simavi Uluc
Sensational!
Mark Heimback-Nielsen
Recorded February 7, 1962, with Ralph Carmichael conducting his own arrangements to his orchestra (James McGee and Dick Perissi on French horns, Francis "Joe" Howard, Tom Shepard, and Lloyd Ulyate on trombones, George Roberts on bass trombone, Gene Cipriano, Justin Gordon, Paul Horn, and Harry Klee on reeds, Bobby Hammack on piano, Bobby Gibbons on guitar, Pat Senatore on bass, Irving Cottler on drums, Dale Anderson on percussion, Israel Baker, Emil Briano, James Getzoff, Lou Klass, Rickey Marino, Alex Murray, Lou Raderman, Isadore Roman, Ralph Schaefer, Paul Shure, and Joseph Stepansky on violins, Cecil Figelski, Allan Harshman, Virginia Majewski, and Paul Robyn on violas, and Margaret Aue, Armand Kaproff, Emmett Sargeant, and William Vandenburg on cellos) and an unidentified vocal chorus as they recorded "Because Of You" then, with Nat "King" Cole on vocals, "Look No Further" and then, without Cole, "Blue Tango" between 1:00 PM and 4:00 PM in Los Angeles, California.
Capitol Records issued "Look No Further" and "Blue Tango" on Ralph Carmichael And His Orchestra's album "I Can Dream, Can't I?" (T 1819) and "Look No Further" as a single (Capitol F4714) by Nat "King" Cole with "The Right Thing To Say" (recorded November 27, 1961) on the flipside.
James McEwan
How did I miss this gem?
VICTOR BALIT
If my memory doesn't fail me, this was the B-Side of BUT BEAUTIFUL.
John Thompson
You think "Look..." is marvelous? (and it is) Then listen to Cole's Nature Boy.Holy half notes! Could that man sing!
Jonathan
You stole my thunder, DreamsCumTrue469. Tony awards for Richard Rogers and Dihann Carroll and nominations for Richard Kiley and for Best Musical. I'd hardly call that a flop. The subject matter was light years ahead of its time, but Rogers was able to bounce back after Hammerstein's 1960 death. It was Rogers first show since "The Sound of Music" in November 1959.