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.
Too Young to Go Steady
Nat King Cole Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I hear him (her) say.
He (she) says I'm (we're) not ready
But then why am I (are we) feeling this way?
Too young so he (she) tells me
He (she) says we'll have to wait.
Why wait till it may be too late?
Can't he (she) realize he (she) drive me wild
Is he (she) made of stone?
Must he (she) always treat me (act just) like a child?
Won't he (she) ever own up
I'm (we're) grown up?
Some day he'll (she'll) be sorry
Some day just wait and see
He'll (she'll) wish he'd (she'd) gone steady with me!
The lyrics of the song Too Young To Go Steady are sung with an underlying melancholic tone that is typical of Nat King Cole's genre of music. The song presents the perspective of a person who is experiencing the initial stages of love, but unfortunately, the love interest isn't ready to commit yet. The song portrays a frustrating situation where the person is unable to comprehend why the love interest is holding back from a possible relationship, while the person is experiencing strong emotions towards them. The sentiment of the lyrics is relatable to anyone who has experienced unrequited love.
The lyrics begin with the first-person narrator, probably a woman, relaying her feelings to her love interest, who responds by saying they're too young for any elaborate emotional commitment. Thus, the singer is filled with frustration, unable to comprehend why their love, which they describe as causing them to be "wild" with passion, is being dismissed on the grounds of their age. The question arises; why must they wait until some unspecified future date to express their feelings and emotions? Finally, the singer is eager for the day when their love interest will understand their emotions and feel regretful that they did not take them seriously.
Line by Line Meaning
Too young to go steady, too young
The singer is deemed too young to commit to a serious relationship.
He (she) says I'm (we're) not ready
Their romantic partner suggests that they are not yet prepared to explore their potential as a couple.
But then why am I (are we) feeling this way?
Despite their partner's misgivings, the singer cannot ignore the feelings of affection and attraction they have for them.
Too young so he (she) tells me
The partner repeats that they are too young to make a serious commitment, indicating their reluctance to engage in a relationship at the current time.
He (she) says we'll have to wait.
Their partner insists that they bide their time before making any major decisions about their relationship.
Why wait till it may be too late?
The singer questions the logic of delaying a potentially fulfilling relationship until it may be too late to pursue it further.
Can't he (she) realize he (she) drives me wild
The singer expresses frustration that their partner is unable to appreciate the depth of their feelings for them, which are strong and intense.
Is he (she) made of stone?
The artist wonders if their romantic partner is emotionally incapable of reciprocating their feelings, given their repeated rejections of a committed relationship.
Must he (she) always treat me (act just) like a child?
The artist feels belittled by their partner's insistence on treating them as though they lack the emotional maturity to pursue a committed relationship.
Won't he (she) ever own up
The artist expresses frustration that their partner refuses to be truthful about their feelings and intentions, despite the obvious affection between them.
I'm (we're) grown up?
The singer insists that they are mature enough to handle the complexities of a romantic relationship, and deserve to be treated as such.
Some day he'll (she'll) be sorry
The artist foresees their partner regretting their decision not to pursue a committed relationship, especially given the depth of their feelings for each other.
Some day just wait and see
The singer is confident that, in time, their partner will come to see the error of their ways and regret not pursuing a relationship with them.
He'll (she'll) wish he'd (she'd) gone steady with me!
The singer asserts that, given their strong connection and mutual affection, their partner will ultimately come to regret not pursuing a committed relationship with them.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Harold Adamson, Jimmy Mc Hugh
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jber95
My dad was a huge Nat fan and loved this song but could never find it. I found it for him so he had it to enjoy before he died. It is one of many Nat King Cole classics.
Alfonso Izaguirre
My dad listened to Nat all the time, but I’ll be honest, it’s my first time hearing this version. He nailed it!
Corrie121
What a delight it is to listen to this great recording again. This is a great favourite from my National Service days in the Royal Air force. Loved it in 1956, and I still do. Thank you for sharing.
antonio campaneflho
parabéns grandes orquestras
Bud Lehn
I love this recording by Nat. It is lovely.
Michael Chapman
Another great Nat Cole song is "That Sunday That Summer"...... 'Nat recorded with Ralph Carmichael & His Orchestra- with Ralph's arrangement on May 16th, 1963 at Capitol Records on N Vine St.W/Britain's Cliff Adams Singers
Tony Learner
My favorite ROMANTIC SINGER of all time -- Nat King Cole!
keith leggett
I will always remember this song - It was the first time I had sung "solo"(around the "halls" England 1956. I now live
in New Zealand and still sing "solo" at the age of 84. (mainly retirement villages etc).
sauquoit13456
On this day in 1956 {May 6th} Nat 'King' Cole performed "Too Young To Go Steady" on the CBS-TV Sunday night variety program 'The Ed Sullivan Show'...
At the time the song was at #43* on Billboard's Top 100 chart; and on April 12th it had peaked at #21 {for 1 week} on Billboard's Most Played By Jockeys chart...
Two other versions of the song also made the Top 100; Patti Page {#73, also in 1956} and Connie Stevens {#71 in 1960}...
Sadly, Nathaniel Adams Coles passed away at the young age of 45 on February 15th, 1965...
May he R.I.P.
* According to Billboard "Too Young To Go Steady" was tied at #43 with "My Little Angel" by the Four Lads...
Gary K. Nedrow
If Nat King Cole was 25 today, who would record him? In the recording industry today, noise and flash have supplanted competence and intimacy. Thank heaven, he was born in an era that appreciated ballads and those who sang them well.