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 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
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?
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
@albertpatterson3675
I've had this song in the back of my mind for years. I heard it either in a cartoon or an episode of "Our Gang Comedies".
@Phaaschh
Firstly, many thanks for the only decent transfer of this I've been able to find, so it's straight onto the playlist!
Any Brits here might remember this being used memorably on the BBC original of "Pennies from Heaven" back in the late 70s- it certainly made me sit up and take notice!
Shout outs here for Dorothy Carless on her debut, and a far cry from the lush torch songs she became synonymous for during the war years with Geraldo's orchestra.
Lew Davis's deliberately vampy trombone sets off DC's vocal perfectly.
Then it's the supremely versatile Harry Berly playing a viola chorus which could only come from him, Freddie Gardner playing a joyous 16, only to let in Nat Gonella to finally see off that Nasty Man, playing from somewhere far back in studio 2, and all propelled along at a tremendous lick by Bill Harty on the skins.
Jazz it ain't, and the British musicians were all savvy enough to know this, but great fun it definitely is, and one of my favourite Nobles!
@the78prof72
Glad that it sounds good to you.
@royrush5374
Impressive arrangements
@Cont0rt
i first heard this sampled in a proleter song, but i seriously really like the original vocal
@jourwalis-8875
Wonderful! Amazing that the female singer is only seventeen (!) years old here. She really sounds more grown up. And just to let a seventeen year old girl sing this song is surprising....
@irsw51
At the end I almost expected to hear the rich tones of Alan Dell giving the details on BBC Radio 2. Also, while no one came close to Tricky Sam, Lew Davis came closer than most.
@Trombonology
Ray's sizzling take on this cute one, yet another splendid number to be introduced by the great Alice Faye, is right up there with both Alice's and the Dorsey Bros'., in my book. Billy Harty provided what I consider the most distinctive and spectacular sound of all the Brit drummers, on glorious display here. Compare this side with, say, Geraldo's "That Lovely Weekend" to appreciate Dorothy Carless' interpretive and tonal versatility!
@Phaaschh
Seconded.
I wish I could find a copy of her heartbreakingly poignant version of "My Sister and I", which is right up there with the Dorsey/Eberle original.
@Trombonology
@Mark Thompson You mean a 78, right? I have Dorothy's beautiful take on one of Vocalion's CD volumes, and I agree that it's among the best. I've always thought, though, that it was nice to have Bob Eberly playing the brother on the Dorsey record, as it's perhaps an unexpected touch and his vocal is so sensitive. ... Hope you're doing well, Mark!