Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles b… Read Full Bio ↴Before his international acclaim as a pop vocalist, Nathaniel Adams Coles built an indelible reputation as a jazz pianist in the groundbreaking combo, The King Cole Trio. Born into a musical family, young Nat Coles (later changed to Cole) recorded with his older brother, Edward, in 1936 for the Decca label. The four sides cut by Eddie Cole’s Solid Swingers gave the general public its first glimpse of Nat’s gentle yet lively piano riffs. After touring with a revival show of Eubie Blake’s revue Shuffle Along, Cole settled in Los Angeles, playing various nightclubs as a soloist. In 1937, club owner Bob Lewis suggested that Cole assemble a small band to work at his Swanee Inn on North La Brea. The group’s unorthodox instrumentation and size - they had no drummer and, at the time, big bands were the rage - featured Wesley Prince on bass and the innovative phrasings of electric guitarist Oscar Moore. The Trio’s blend of jump blues and jazzy instrumentals with bouncy vocal stylings was a collective effort, while Cole occasionally took the lead on standard ballads. After an uneventful 1939 session for the Davis & Schwegler recording company in Hollywood, The Trio accompanied Lionel Hampton on two recording dates the following summer. Their association with Hampton helped, and that winter The Trio signed with Decca. Their 1940-41 sessions for the label yielded sixteen songs and captured the attention of fellow musicians, fans and a handful of critics. Later that fall, The Trio sounded right at home with drummer Lee Young on a four-song session for the Ammor label. In 1942, Cole recorded with Red Callender and saxophonist Lester Young for the Philo/Aladdin label, Oscar Moore with Cole at the piano.

boulevard of broken dreams
Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

And gigolo and gigolette
Awake to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams.

Here is where you`ll always find me,
Always walking up and down.
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town.

The joy you find here, you borrow,
You cannot keep it long, it seems.
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams.

Here is where you`ll always find me,
Always walking up and down.
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town.

The joy you find here, you borrow,
You cannot keep it long, it seems.
But gigolo and gigolette

Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Nat King Cole's "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" describe a melancholic scene of a street filled with people who have had their dreams shattered. The song highlights the contrast between the surface level excitement of the street and the underlying sadness and disillusionment that lie beneath. The first stanza describes the street as a place where "gigolo and gigolette" can take a kiss without regret and forget their broken dreams. However, the following stanza reveals that this joy is fleeting, and those same people will eventually awaken to tears and the realization that their dreams have crumbled.

The chorus repeats the idea that the street is where the singer can always be found, but that they've left a part of themselves behind in an old cathedral town. The final stanza repeats the idea that joy found on the boulevard is temporary and borrowed, and ultimately the broken dreams take precedence. However, the song also suggests that despite this underlying sadness, people are still able to find the strength to sing and dance along to the boulevard's tunes.

Overall, "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" is a poignant depiction of the transience of happiness and the fragility of dreams. It speaks to the idea that beneath the surface-level glamour and excitement that the world often presents, there is often deep sadness and disappointment.

Line by Line Meaning

I walk along the street of sorrow,
I am walking down a street full of sadness and distress.

The boulevard of broken dreams.
This street is known as the boulevard where all the shattered dreams come to an end.

Where gigolo and gigolette
This street is also known for the presence of gigolo and gigolette.

Can take a kiss without regret
Where these people can easily kiss anyone without regret.

So they forget their broken dreams.
This kiss provides them with a temporary forgetfulness to get rid of their shattered dreams.

You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow,
People laugh today on this boulevard, only to cry and regret later on.

When you behold your shattered dreams.
The reason for their sorrow is due to their unfulfilled and broken dreams.

And gigolo and gigolette
Gigolo and gigolette face the same sad reality as well.

Awake to find their eyes are wet
They wake up to realize that their eyes are wet with tears.

With tears that tell of broken dreams.
These tears indicate the heartbroken emotions caused by unfulfilled dreams.

Here is where you'll always find me,
This boulevard is where I can always be found.

Always walking up and down.
I am continually strolling up and down this street.

But I left my soul behind me
Although I am present here physically, my soul is left behind in another town.

In an old cathedral town.
The town where my soul still resides is an old cathedral town.

The joy you find here, you borrow,
People can find moments of happiness here, but it is only temporary and borrowed.

You cannot keep it long, it seems.
They cannot hold on to this happiness forever as it is fleeting.

Still, gigolo and gigolette
Even after facing heartbreak, gigolo, and gigolette still persist.

Sing a song and dance along
They continue to sing and dance despite their broken dreams.

The boulevard of broken dreams.
The same place where their dreams shattered is where they continue to sing and dance.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: AL DUBIN, HARRY WARREN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@user-pb6nh8wg4c

6y↑10

I walk along the street of sorrow
The boulevard of broken dreams
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
So they forget their broken dreams

You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow
When you behold your shattered dreams
And gigolo and gigolette
Awake to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams

Here is where you'll always find me
Always walking up and down
But I left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town

The joy you find here, you borrow
You cannot keep it long, it seems
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams

@maryamirenea1386

I walk along the street of sorrow,
The boulevard of broken dreams.
Where gigolo and gigolette
Can take a kiss without regret
So they forget their broken dreams.

You laugh tonight and cry tomorrow,
When you behold your shattered dreams.
And gigolo and gigolette
Awake to find their eyes are wet
With tears that tell of broken dreams.

Here is where you'll always find me,
Always walking up and down.
But i left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town.

The joy you find here, you borrow,
Find more lyrics at ※ Mojim.com
You cannot keep it long, it seems.
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams.

~interlude~

Here is where you'll always find me,
Always walking up and down.
But i left my soul behind me
In an old cathedral town.

The joy you find here, you borrow,
You cannot keep it long, it seems.
But gigolo and gigolette
Still sing a song and dance along
The boulevard of broken dreams.

All comments from YouTube:

@seanmignon4229

2y↑1

this is entirely not what i was expecting, but also entirely beautiful!!!

@user-pb6nh8wg4c

6y↑10

@getridofit3

2y↑2

When you behold your shattered schemes

@ExiledGypsy

33w

@@getridofit3 Joyful sadness. A wonderful oxymoron

@liamwatson5125

3y↑1

Nat King Cole - piano and vocal
Irving Ashby - guitar
Joe Comfort - bass
Jack Costanzo - bongos and congas
Recorded 1949 in New York

@1234pouvez

5y↑12

When I google this title I only get the Green Day song. If I want this version I have to add the Artist's Name next to the song. Both versions are nice.

@ag4116

5y↑1

I love this song !!! I love it most from Diana Krall. I also have it sang in Polish. Nat Cole is the only other Black I love, besides Belafonte. Green Day song sucks big time, screaming idiots. But, everyone has their own. Love Krall.