Inspired by the performances of Earl Hines, Cole began his performing career in the mid-1930s while still a teenager, adopting the name "Nat Cole". His older brother, Eddie, a bass player, soon joined Cole's band, and they made their first recording in 1936 under Eddie's name. They also were regular performers at clubs. Cole, in fact, acquired his nickname, "King", performing at one jazz club, a nickname presumably reinforced by the otherwise unrelated nursery rhyme about Old King Cole. He also was a pianist in a national tour of Broadway theatre legend Eubie Blake's revue, "Shuffle Along". When it suddenly failed in Long Beach, California, Cole decided to remain there. He would later return to Chicago in triumph to play such venues as the famed Edgewater Beach Hotel.
Cole and two other musicians formed the "King Cole Swingers" in Long Beach and played in a number of local bars before getting a gig on the Long Beach Pike for US$90 ($1,530 today) per week. The trio consisted of Cole on piano, Oscar Moore on guitar, and Wesley Prince on double bass. The trio played in Failsworth throughout the late 1930s and recorded many radio transcriptions. Cole was not only pianist but leader of the combo as well.
Radio was important to the King Cole Trio's rise in popularity. Their first broadcast was with NBC's Blue Network in 1938. It was followed by appearances on NBC's Swing Soiree. In the 1940s, the trio appeared on the Old Gold, Chesterfield Supper Club and Kraft Music Hall radio shows. The King Cole Trio performed twice on CBS Radio's variety show The Orson Welles Almanac (1944).
Legend was that Cole's singing career did not start until a drunken barroom patron demanded that he sing "Sweet Lorraine". Cole, in fact, has gone on record saying that the fabricated story "sounded good, so I just let it ride". Cole frequently sang in between instrumental numbers. Noticing that people started to request more vocal numbers, he obliged. Yet the story of the insistent customer is not without some truth. There was a customer who requested a certain song one night, but it was a song that Cole did not know, so instead he sang "Sweet Lorraine". The trio was tipped 15 cents for the performance, a nickel apiece.
During World War II, Wesley Prince left the group and Cole replaced him with Johnny Miller. Miller would later be replaced by Charlie Harris in the 1950s. The King Cole Trio signed with the fledgling Capitol Records in 1943. The group had previously recorded for Excelsior Records, owned by Otis René, and had a hit with the song "I'm Lost", which René wrote, produced and distributed. Revenues from Cole's record sales fueled much of Capitol Records' success during this period. The revenue is believed to have played a significant role in financing the distinctive Capitol Records building near Hollywood and Vine in Los Angeles. Completed in 1956, it was the world's first circular office building and became known as "The House that Nat Built".
Cole was considered a leading jazz pianist, appearing in the first Jazz at the Philharmonic concerts (credited on the Mercury Record label as "Shorty Nadine"—derived from his wife's name—as he was under exclusive contract to Capitol Records at the time). His revolutionary lineup of piano, guitar, and bass in the time of the big bands became a popular setup for a jazz trio. It was emulated by many musicians, among them Art Tatum, Oscar Peterson, Ahmad Jamal, and blues pianists Charles Brown and Ray Charles. He also performed as a pianist on sessions with Lester Young, Red Callender, and Lionel Hampton. For contract reasons, Cole was credited as "Aye Guy" on the album The Lester Young Buddy Rich Trio.Cole's first mainstream vocal hit was his 1943 recording of one of his compositions, "Straighten Up and Fly Right", based on a black folk tale that his father had used as a theme for a sermon. Johnny Mercer invited him to record it for his fledgling Capitol Records label. It sold over 500,000 copies, proving that folk-based material could appeal to a wide audience. Although Cole would never be considered a rocker, the song can be seen as anticipating the first rock and roll records. Indeed, Bo Diddley, who performed similar transformations of folk material, counted Cole as an influence.
In 1946, the Cole trio paid to have their own 15-minute radio program on the air. It was called, "King Cole Trio Time." It became the first radio program sponsored by a black performing artist. During those years, the trio recorded many "transcription" recordings, which were recordings made in the radio studio for the broadcast. Later they were used for commercial records.
Beginning in the late 1940s, Cole began recording and performing pop-oriented material for mainstream audiences, in which he was often accompanied by a string orchestra. His stature as a popular icon was cemented during this period by hits such as "The Christmas Song" (Cole recorded that tune four times: on June 14, 1946, as a pure Trio recording, on August 19, 1946, with an added string section, on August 24, 1953, and in 1961 for the double album The Nat King Cole Story; this final version, recorded in stereo, is the one most often heard today), "Nature Boy" (1948), "Mona Lisa" (1950), "Too Young" (the #1 song in 1951), 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 jazz roots; as late as 1956, for instance, he recorded an all-jazz album After Midnight. Cole had one of his last big hits in 1963, two years before his death, with the classic "Those Lazy-Hazy-Crazy Days of Summer", which reached #6 on the Pop chart.
Jingle Bells
The King Cole Trio Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In a one horse open sleigh
O'er the fields we go
Laughing all the way
Bells on bob tails ring
Making spirits bright
What fun it is to laugh and sing
A sleighing song tonight
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
A day or two ago
I thought I'd take a ride
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
Was seated by my side
The horse was lean and lank
Misfortune seemed his lot
We got into a drifted bank
And then we got upsot
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh yeah
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
Jingle bells, jingle bells
Jingle all the way
Oh, what fun it is to ride
In a one horse open sleigh
The King Cole Trio's song "Jingle Bells" is a classic Christmas tune that has become an essential part of the holiday season. The lyrics describe the experience of riding in a one-horse open sleigh through the snow-covered fields. The opening lines "Dashing through the snow, in a one-horse open sleigh, o'er the fields we go, laughing all the way" set the tone for what is about to unfold.
As the song progresses, we are introduced to bells on the horse's bobtail that ring and make spirits bright. The lyrics suggest that there is a joyous feeling that comes with being outside in the snow and hearing the bells ringing. The line "What fun it is to laugh and sing a sleighing song tonight" highlights the communal aspect of the song. This song can be sung by anyone, and its main objective is to bring people together.
The second verse tells the story of a ride a day or two ago where the singer, accompanied by Miss Fanny Bright, hit a drifted bank and ended up "upsot." This verse helps to paint a picture of what it was like to ride in a one-horse open sleigh. It's not all sleigh bells and laughter; there are real dangers that exist when traveling in the snow.
The upbeat melody and catchy chorus of "Jingle Bells" have made it a popular holiday song for over a century. This song was written by James Lord Pierpont in 1857, and it was originally titled "One-Horse Open Sleigh." The song has been covered by numerous artists and has been featured in movies, TV shows, and advertisements.
Line by Line Meaning
Dashing through the snow
We are moving quickly on a sleigh through the snowy landscape.
In a one horse open sleigh
Our mode of transportation is a sleigh that is being pulled by a single horse.
O'er the fields we go
We are traveling over open areas of land or countryside.
Laughing all the way
We are filled with joy and amusement, expressing our happiness and excitement audibly.
Bells on bob tails ring
The bells that are attached to the horses' tails are making a ringing sound as they move.
Making spirits bright
The sounds and sights of the sleigh ride are bringing joy and happiness to everyone involved, heightening our energy and sense of well-being.
What fun it is to laugh and sing
It is very enjoyable to express our joy through laughter and song as we ride through the snow on the sleigh.
A sleighing song tonight
We are singing a song that is appropriate for the activity we are engaged in, namely, riding on a sleigh during the evening hours.
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells
We are calling out the sound that the bells on the horse's tail are making as we ride.
Jingle all the way
The bells are making a continuous, rhythmic sound that we enjoy and are singing about.
Oh, what fun it is to ride
The act of sleigh riding on a winter night fills us with joy and a sense of liberation and happiness.
In a one horse open sleigh
Our mode of transportation is a traditional, simple and classic sleigh single horse-powered.
A day or two ago
This event took place a short time in the past, likely within the last few days.
I thought I'd take a ride
I decided to go out for a leisurely sleigh ride.
And soon Miss Fanny Bright
I was soon joined by a friend or acquaintance who goes by the name of Miss Fanny Bright.
Was seated by my side
She took a seat in the sleigh next to me.
The horse was lean and lank
The horse that is pulling our sleigh was thin and bony for some reason.
Misfortune seemed his lot
The horse appeared to be marked by bad luck or ill fate, perhaps because he was so thin and bony.
We got into a drifted bank
The sleigh, horse, and riders became mired in a snowdrift on the side of the road.
And then we got upsot
The accident caused us to be thrown from the sleigh and into the snow.
In a one horse open sleigh yeah
As previously mentioned, we are traveling on a traditional, single-horse powered sleigh.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FRANCESCO MOCCHI
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind