Ray Noble (December 17, 1903 – April 3, 1978) was a British bandleader, com… Read Full Bio ↴Ray Noble (December 17, 1903 – April 3, 1978) was a British bandleader, composer, arranger and actor. Noble studied music at the Royal Academy of Music and became leader of the HMV Records studio band in 1929. The band, known as the New Mayfair Dance Orchestra, featured members of many of the top hotel orchestras of the day. The most popular vocalist with Noble's studio band was Al Bowlly.

Noble played the piano but seldom did so with his orchestra. In a movie short from the 1940s featuring Ray Noble and Buddy Clark (one of his most popular band singers), Ray Noble is asked by the announcer to play one of his most popular hits. He sits down at the piano and plays "Goodnight Sweetheart" ("Goodnight sweetheart, 'til we meet tomorrow. Goodnight sweetheart, parting is such sorrow"). This is the song that once seemed to be played at the end of every high school and college prom, the end of every party featuring live music, and the last song played by a dance band to signal the end of the evening.

Although Noble was no singer, he did appear twice as an upper crust Englishmen on two of his more popular New York records, 1935's Top Hat and 1937's Slumming on Park Avenue.

Noble and Bowlly's 1934 recording of "Midnight, the Stars and You" was prominently featured on the soundtrack of Stanley Kubrick's film The Shining in 1980.

Oh You Nasty Man
Ray Noble and His Orchestra Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I long to try something I never had
Never had no kissin'
Oh, what I've been missin'
Lover man, oh, where can you be?

The night is cold and I'm so alone
I'd give my soul just to call you my own

Got a moon above me
But no one to love me
Lover man, oh, where can you be?

I've heard it said
That the thrill of romance
Can be like a heavenly dream
I go to bed with a prayer
That you'll make love to me
Strange as it seems

Someday we'll meet
And you'll dry all my tears
Then whisper sweet
Little things in my ear
Hugging and a-kissing

Oh, what I've been missing
Lover man, oh, where can you be?

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Ray Noble and His Orchestra's song "Oh You Nasty Man" are sung from the perspective of a woman who is feeling sad because she has never experienced true love. She longs for a kiss and someone to love her, asking "Lover man, oh, where can you be?" She is alone on a cold night, with only the moon above her, and wonders when she will find someone to share her life with.

The lyrics also express the belief that the thrill of romance can be like a heavenly dream, and the woman goes to bed each night praying that her lover will come to her and make love to her. She acknowledges that this may seem strange, but still holds out hope for a future where she will be happy and loved. The song ends with a vision of a future where she and her lover will meet, he will dry her tears, and they will hug and kiss, fulfilling all her dreams of love.

Overall, the song expresses a longing for love and companionship that is common to many people, while also capturing the optimism and hope that can accompany these desires.

Line by Line Meaning

I don't know why but I'm feeling so sad
I am experiencing sadness without a clear reason.

I long to try something I never had
I crave a new experience that I have never had before.

Never had no kissin'
I have never kissed before.

Oh, what I've been missin'
I am aware of what I have been missing out on.

Lover man, oh, where can you be?
I am longing for a lover and questioning their whereabouts.

The night is cold and I'm so alone
The current moment makes me feel lonely and cold.

I'd give my soul just to call you my own
I am willing to sacrifice anything in order to have you as my own.

Got a moon above me
There is a visible moon in the sky.

But no one to love me
At this moment in time, I do not have anyone who loves me.

I've heard it said
I have been told or informed.

That the thrill of romance
The feeling of excitement that comes with romantic experiences.

Can be like a heavenly dream
It can feel like a dreamlike, ethereal experience.

I go to bed with a prayer
Before sleeping, I say a prayer or express a desire.

That you'll make love to me
My desire is for you to engage in a sexual act with me.

Strange as it seems
In a peculiar way that may not make sense to others.

Someday we'll meet
At some point in the future, we will have a chance to meet.

And you'll dry all my tears
You will bring me happiness and make me feel better.

Then whisper sweet
Intimate words that are kind, gentle and romantic

Little things in my ear
Words that are whispered softly into my ears.

Hugging and a-kissing
The act of embracing and kissing intimately.

Oh, what I've been missing
I have been lacking the experience of hugging and kissing.

Lover man, oh, where can you be?
I am still looking for the lover that I have been dreaming of.

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: LORENZ HART, RICHARD RODGERS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

TRACKS