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.
Sweet Georgia Brown
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Things are hot here now they say,
There's a new gal in town.
Gals are jealous, there's no doubt.
All the guys just rave about
Sweet, Sweet Georgia Brown.
And ever since she came, the common folks all claim, say
Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown,
I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
It's been said she knocks 'em dead when she lands in town.
Since she came why it's a shame how she's cooled 'em down.
Fellas that she can't get must be fellas that she ain't met.
Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, Sweet Georgia Brown.
All you gals will get the blues,
All you pals will surely lose.
And, there's but one excuse.
Now I've told you who she was,
And I've told you what she does,
Still, give this gal her dues.
This pretty maiden's prayer is answered anywhere
No gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown.
Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown,
I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
All those tips the porter slips to Sweet Georgia Brown
They buy clothes at fashion shows for one dollar down.
Fellas, won'tcha tip your hats oh boy, ain't she the cats?
Who's that mister, ain't her sister, it's Sweet Georgia Brown.
The song "Sweet Georgia Brown" by Nat King Cole is a tribute to a newly arrived woman in town, who is causing quite a stir among both men and women. The lyrics describe her as beautiful and charming, with two left feet that nevertheless move gracefully. The men are all vying for her attention, while the women are jealous and feeling blue. The song talks about how Georgia Brown has cooled down the hot atmosphere in town and how everyone is under her spell. Despite her beauty and popularity, the lyrics also suggest that she is down-to-earth and has a good heart, and that people should give her their respect and appreciation.
The lyrics can be interpreted as a celebration of the power of beauty and charm, but also as a warning about the downsides of being too alluring and attractive. The jealousies and rivalries that Georgia Brown causes are a reflection of the negative aspects of human nature, and the song suggests that people need to be careful not to let their passions overwhelm them. At the same time, the song celebrates the way that music and dance can bring people together and create moments of joy and connection.
Line by Line Meaning
He just got here yesterday,
A man has recently arrived to a place.
Things are hot here now they say,
The situation in this place is currently intense and exciting.
There's a new gal in town.
There is a new woman who has recently arrived here.
Gals are jealous, there's no doubt.
Women are feeling envious due to this new woman's arrival.
All the guys just rave about Sweet, Sweet Georgia Brown.
The men in this place are all talking excitedly about this new woman, Sweet Georgia Brown.
And ever since she came, the common folks all claim, say
Since Sweet Georgia Brown's arrival, ordinary people assert that...
No gal made has got a shade on Sweet Georgia Brown.
No other woman possesses the same qualities as Sweet Georgia Brown.
Two left feet, but oh, so neat has Sweet Georgia Brown.
Although she is not skilled at dancing, Sweet Georgia Brown is still elegant and polished.
They all sigh and wanna die for Sweet Georgia Brown,
People are infatuated with Sweet Georgia Brown to the point of being distraught.
I'll tell you just why, you know I don't lie (not much!).
The artist will provide the explanation for this behavior and claims to be truthful.
It's been said she knocks 'em dead when she lands in town.
It's been rumored that Sweet Georgia Brown leaves a strong impression when she arrives in a new place.
Since she came why it's a shame how she's cooled 'em down.
It's a pity how Sweet Georgia Brown has reduced the intensity of people's excitement since her arrival.
Fellas that she can't get must be fellas that she ain't met.
The men who are not interested in Sweet Georgia Brown are likely males she has not yet encountered.
Georgia claimed her, Georgia named her, Sweet Georgia Brown.
Sweet Georgia Brown is named after and belongs to the state of Georgia.
All you gals will get the blues,
All the women who are not Sweet Georgia Brown will feel dissatisfied and envious.
All you pals will surely lose.
Friends of Sweet Georgia Brown will inevitably be pulled away from their other companions.
And, there's but one excuse.
There is only one explanation for Sweet Georgia Brown's popularity.
Now I've told you who she was,
The singer has explained who Sweet Georgia Brown is.
And I've told you what she does,
The singer has outlined Sweet Georgia Brown's characteristics and behavior.
Still, give this gal her dues.
Sweet Georgia Brown deserves recognition for her abilities and impact.
This pretty maiden's prayer is answered anywhere
Sweet Georgia Brown is beautiful and her wishes are fulfilled in any location.
All those tips the porter slips to Sweet Georgia Brown
Porters discreetly give Sweet Georgia Brown gifts.
They buy clothes at fashion shows for one dollar down.
Sweet Georgia Brown and her companions find high-quality clothing at discounted prices.
Fellas, won'tcha tip your hats oh boy, ain't she the cats?
The artist asks men to express respect for and admiration of Sweet Georgia Brown.
Who's that mister, ain't her sister, it's Sweet Georgia Brown.
Anyone who looks like Sweet Georgia Brown must be her relative because of her unique qualities.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAX LODERBAUER, PAULA SCHOPF
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?