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.
Te Quiero Duiste
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Taking my hands
Into your little hands
Of white ivory
And I felt in my chest
A heavy pang
Then a sigh
And next the sparkOf a feverish kiss
Pretty little doll
Of golden hair
Your teeth of pearls
Ruby lips
Tell me if you love me
As I love you
If you remember me
As I do you
Sometimes I hear
A divine echo
Enveloped in the wind
It seems to say
Yes, I really love you
So very much
As much as then
Until I die
In Nat King Cole's song Te Quiero Dijiste, the lyrics express a passionate love between two individuals. The song paints a vivid picture of the moment when the person he loves confesses their love to him, taking his hands into their hands made of white ivory, causing a heavy pang in his chest followed by a feverish kiss, which certainly shows the intensity of their love. This experience had a profound impact on him, that the memories still linger with him, and sometimes a divine echo engulfs him, reminding him of the love he shared with his beloved.
The second verse of the song is addressed to his beloved, whom he calls a pretty little doll with golden hair, teeth of pearls and ruby lips, asking if she remembers him and loves him as much as he does. This shows that he cherishes their love and wants their relationship to last forever. The entire song reflects the deep emotions and love between two people, with a touch of nostalgia and longing for times gone by, making it a classic love song.
Line by Line Meaning
I love you" you said
Your words conveyed love
Taking my hands
You held my hands
Into your little hands
You held my hands in the palm of your small hands
Of white ivory
Your hands were smooth and white like ivory
And I felt in my chest
I experienced an emotion in my heart
A heavy pang
A feeling of sadness or longing
Then a sigh
I let out a sigh
And next the spark
And then a spark of passion
Of a feverish kiss
We shared a passionate kiss
Pretty little doll
You are beautiful
Of golden hair
Your hair is golden in color
Your teeth of pearls
Your teeth are white and shining like pearls
Ruby lips
Your lips are red like rubies
Tell me if you love me
Express your love for me
As I love you
To the same extent as I love you
If you remember me
Do you still think of me?
As I do you
As I think of you
Sometimes I hear
Occasionally I listen to
A divine echo
A voice that sounds like it comes from heaven
Enveloped in the wind
Whispered by the wind
It seems to say
It appears to express
Yes, I really love you
Confirming that you are loved
So very much
To an extraordinary degree
As much as then
As much as the love we had before
Until I die
Forever, until I pass away
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Maria Grever
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Siempre que te preguntou
Que cuándou, cómou y dónde
Tu siempre me respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días
Y you desesperandou
Y tu, tu contestandou
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensandou, pensandouu
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándou, hasta cuándouu
Y así pasan los días (los días)
Y you desesperandou
Y tu, tu contestandou
Quizás, quizás, quizás
@roodberthold6541
Siempre que te pregunto
Que cuándo, cómo y dónde
Tu siempre me respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Y así pasan los días (los días)
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Siempre que te pregunto (siempre que me preguntas)
Que cuándo, cómo y dónde (que cuándo, cómo y dónde amor)
Tu siempre me respondes (yo siempre te respondo)
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Y así pasan los días
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizás, quizás, quizás
@uribengio9434
Siempre que te pregunto
Que cuándo, cómo y dónde
Tu siempre me respondes
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Y así pasan los días
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Y así pasan los días (los días)
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Siempre que te pregunto (siempre que me preguntas)
Que cuándo, cómo y dónde (que cuándo, cómo y dónde amor)
Tu siempre me respondes (yo siempre te respondo)
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Estas perdiendo el tiempo
Pensando, pensando
Por lo que mas tu quieras
Hasta cuándo, hasta cuándo
Y así pasan los días
Y yo desesperando
Y tu, tu contestando
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Quizás, quizás, quizás
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Osvaldo Farres
Quizás, Quizás, Quizás lyrics © DistroKid
@bitesizefirst
"In the mood for love" brought me here.. #wongkarwai #inthemoodforlove
@juancarlosarana8985
Tengo casi 50 años, y me trae recuerdos estas bellas canciones. Yo preparándome para ir al colegio,y mi viejito afeitándose para irse a trabajar. 😢
@Laura-xv5uc
Tengo 24 años, entontre por casualidad musica de esta epoca y siento una conexión tan especial, no se explicar ✨
@renegomez8631
Esa cancion es cubana la escribio osvaldo farres
@GuadalupeLopez-mx2uk
Eres un alma vieja 😍
@danielcenteno6642
Igual yo, y nunca la había escuchado, mis abuelos escuchaban este tipo de música
@Yunuhel1
Quizá viviste anteriormente en la época de esa canción.
@TheMantisrojo
Está en tus genes...tus padres la bailaron juntos en una sola loseta.
@christianatoche3150
Escuchando esta hermosa canción con mi hijo Danilo...... parece que fue ayer ....cuando la escuchaba con mi señor padre Máximo Atoche....recuerdos tan bellos que pasan de generación en generación...hoy día 11/09/2024. Quien mas esta disfrutando este bello recuerdo?
@albertoascoy3160
Es muy cierto escuchar estas canciones regresas a aquellos días donde escuchabas estas canciones con nuestros padres, y como refieres la canción Así pasan los días. Gratos recuerdos y magnífica época. Saludos desde Perú.