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.
The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot
He sent a note to Santa
For some soldiers and a drum
It broke his little heart
When he found Santa hadn't come
In the street he envies all those lucky boys
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys
I'm so sorry for that laddie
He hasn't got a daddy
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot
You know, Christmas comes but once a year for every girl and boy
The laughter and the joy they find in each brand new toy
I'll tell you of a little boy that lives across the way
This little fella's Christmas is just another day
He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot
In the street he envies all those lucky boys
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys
I'm so sorry for that laddie
He hasn't got a daddy
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot
Nat King Cole's "The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot" is a heartbreaking story about a poor little boy who is left out of the traditional festivities of Christmas. The song's lyrics evoke deep feelings of sadness and empathy as the boy, who doesn't have a father, writes a letter to Santa asking for a simple toy, a soldier and a drum. However, Santa never comes to grant his wish, leaving the little boy to envy the other children who got their presents from Santa Claus. The second verse emphasizes the joy that Christmas brings to other children, but the same joy is elusive for the little boy.
The song sheds light on the social and economic disparities faced by millions of children during the holidays. The little boy's longing for a simple toy that never materializes is symbolic of the daily struggles of children from underprivileged backgrounds. The absence of a father from the boy's life adds to the poignant tone of the song, most likely making the little boy's situation worse.
One significant interpretation of the song is that it raises an awareness of the numerous children who might not have the same opportunities as others. It's a reminder to be grateful for what we have and to lend a helping hand to those in need.
Line by Line Meaning
He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot
This is a child who's been overlooked by Santa and hasn't received any gifts during Christmas.
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot
Despite not having much, this little boy didn't ask for much and only wanted a few simple toys.
He sent a note to Santa
This little boy sent a letter to Santa Claus with his wishes.
For some soldiers and a drum
The little boy asked for toy soldiers and a drum to play with.
It broke his little heart
The boy was devastated when he realized Santa hadn't come and he didn't receive any gifts, which left him feeling sad and heartbroken.
When he found Santa hadn't come
The little boy went to bed on Christmas Eve expecting to wake up to gifts from Santa, but sadly found none.
In the street he envies all those lucky boys
The boy looks at other children who received gifts from Santa and can't help feeling jealous and envious of their good fortune.
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys
Disappointed that he didn't receive any gifts, the boy goes back home to play with the broken toys he had from the previous year.
I’m so sorry for that laddie
The artist expresses sympathy for the little boy and apologizes on behalf of Santa Claus for forgetting him.
He hasn't got a daddy
The boy is missing the presence of his father in his life, which adds to his loneliness and sense of not being cared for.
Lyrics © RESERVOIR MEDIA MANAGEMENT INC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Fiena
He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot
He sent a note to Santa
For some soldiers and a drum
It broke his little heart
When he found Santa hadn't come
In the street he envies all those lucky boys
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys
I'm so sorry for that laddie
He hasn't got a daddy
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot
You know, Christmas comes but once a year for every girl and boy
The laughter and the joy they find in each brand new toy
I'll tell you of a little boy that lives across the way
This little fella's Christmas is just another day
He's the little boy that Santa Claus forgot
And goodness knows, he didn't want a lot
In the street he envies all those lucky boys
Then wanders home to last year's broken toys
I'm so sorry for that laddie
He hasn't got a daddy
The little boy that Santa Claus forgot
Valerie Deuchars
My dad used to sing this song when I was small can still hear singing this song love you always dad ♥️♥️♥️
thegallerian
Same.
maccafan10
Mine too. You've set me off now. I'm in bits
Maria Liliana Reynoso Moreno
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If you're 555, I'm 666
Its a depressing song and not very good.
Amina Plummer
My grandad used to sing this to me when I was little. Makes me cry when I hear it.
ber g
This also reminds me of my mother..She sang it every Christmas..Miss you ma xxx ❤️ Nat King Cole's voice is the best for this song 🎵
Charles La Belle
I used 2 hear this song every Christmas when I was a kid, my old man used to play it over and over again!... Now I'm in my late 40's every time I hear this song I miss my old man!... Bring's a tear 2 my eye!...
Gary Pierce
When my son was 4 or 5. I would play it, and he would listen so intently. He is 27 now. 😔
neilx49
THIS TUNE MADE ME CRY WHEN I WAS A LITTLE BOY. I'M 70 NOW, AND IT STILL MAKES ME CRY!