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 Out for Love
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's danger ahead
The signal is showing
A definite red
Look out what you're doing
You're caught in a pot
Whatever she is brewing
You better get wise, here's what I advise
When she sighs for a squeeze
Freeze, blame it on the breeze
Start to sneeze, get the measles
She'll get you off balance
Then suddenly shove duck
When she throws her hook out
Don't let your heart get took out
Pick up your pack and cook out
Oh look out, look out it's love
Look out where you're rowing
Stay close to the bank
That river is flowing
Right into a tank
Look out where you ramble
You're out on the loose
You're liable to amble
Ride into a noose
You better look out or better turn about
Like a trout
At the dam, scram, take it on the lamp
It's a jam, it's a stampede
She'll talk to her lawyer, where by and where of
She'll get the marriage book out
And she'll pick the perfect look out
Her welcome mask's been shook out
Oh look out, look out for love
In Nat King Cole's song "Look Out for Love," he warns listeners to be cautious in matters of the heart. He uses metaphors to describe the danger of falling in love with someone who may not have their best interests at heart. The signal showing a definite red is a symbol of caution and suggests that the person should be aware of the dangers ahead. The pot represents a situation that could be dangerous, like getting involved with someone who has a negative influence.
Cole advises people to be cautious when their love interest shows signs of wanting a physical relationship because it may not signify genuine feelings. He suggests that people should stay calm and not be swayed by the allure of love. He warns listeners that pursuing love could lead to them being off-balance and making poor decisions. Ultimately, Cole advises listeners to be wary and avoid getting too close to love altogether.
Overall, "Look Out for Love" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of love when it is not reciprocated. It provides advice on how to avoid these dangers and emphasizes the importance of being cautious when dealing with matters of the heart.
Line by Line Meaning
Look out where you're going
Be careful and mindful of where you are headed
There's danger ahead
There are potential risks and hazards in your path
The signal is showing
There are clear warning signs to heed
A definite red
A clear and present danger to be avoided
Look out what you're doing
Be cautious of your actions
You're caught in a pot
You are in a difficult and uncomfortable situation
Whatever she is brewing
Whatever plans she has in mind
Stay out of the pot
Avoid getting involved and making things worse
You better get wise, here's what I advise
You should gain knowledge and insight on this topic
When she sighs for a squeeze
When she desires physical intimacy
Freeze, blame it on the breeze
Hold back and pretend it's not your fault
Start to sneeze, get the measles
Come up with excuses and distractions
She'll get you off balance
She'll disrupt your emotional state and judgment
Then suddenly shove duck
Then abruptly retract it or change direction
When she throws her hook out
When she attempts to lure you in
Don't let your heart get took out
Don't fall for her schemes, traps or deception
Pick up your pack and cook out
Leave the situation and move on
Oh look out, look out it's love
Be wary, love can be deceiving and dangerous
Look out where you're rowing
Be cautious when making decisions or taking actions
Stay close to the bank
Keep a safe distance and don't take too many risks
That river is flowing
That situation is constantly changing
Right into a tank
And could lead to disaster
Look out where you ramble
Watch your steps and where you wander
You're out on the loose
You are unbounded and without direction
You're liable to amble
You are at risk of stumbling into trouble
You better look out or better turn about
You should take heed and act responsibly
Like a trout
Be quick and agile like a fish in water
At the dam, scram, take it on the lamp
Abandon the situation and quickly escape
It's a jam, it's a stampede
It's a difficult and chaotic situation to be avoided
She'll talk to her lawyer, where by and where of
She'll use legal tactics and arguments to her advantage
She'll get the marriage book out
She'll use the prospect of marriage as leverage
And she'll pick the perfect look out
She'll carefully choose the most vulnerable and naive target
Her welcome mask's been shook out
Her true intentions and personality have been revealed
Oh look out, look out for love
Be cautious of love, as it can be deceitful and treacherous
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: COLIN ROMOFF, DANNY MEEHAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
john
on A Blossom Fell
i want the song" I'll never settle for less" lyrics,would somebody be so kind to give it to me?