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. Image courtesy of the Dave Dexter, Jr. Collection.producing a handful of recordings that became benchmarks in their individual careers. Signing with Capitol Records in 1943, The Trio consisted of Cole, Moore, and Johnny Miller, who had settled in as the permanent bassist. Moore left the fold in 1947 and Irving Ashby replaced him. Capitol Records featured The Trio less and less after that, while Cole was singled out as a vocalist often backed by lush string orchestras. By the 1950's, Cole's reputation as a singer had reached a wide pop audience and, upon his death in 1965, his place in music history was forever cemented. His fellow jazz peers, however, never forgot his equally unique touch on the piano and the influence his early trio work had on later performers such as Oscar Peterson, Red Garland, and Tommy Flanagan.

Caravan
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Night and stars above that shine so bright
The myst'ry of their fading light
That shines upon our caravan

Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sand so I may keep
The mem'ry of our caravan

This is so exciting
You are so inviting
Resting in my arms
As I thrill to the magic charms
Of you beside me here beneath the blue

My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert caravan

Overall Meaning

The song Caravan by The Nat King Cole Trio vividly captures an atmosphere of mystery and excitement that surrounds a desert caravan journey under the sparkling night and stars’ sky. The opening lines describe the breathtaking scenery of the starry night, which awes everyone beneath it, and the mystifying fadings of the light that seem to lure the people into an unknown dimension. The subsequent lines then convey the romantic and affectionate elements of the caravan journey, where the singer's love interest rests on his shoulder as they traverse across the sand dunes, and he cherishes the memory of their caravan.

The chorus part of the song adds a layer of thrill by highlighting the excitement associated with traveling in the desert along with one's love interest. It describes how such a journey could be exhilarating, intriguing, and charming, culminating in the dream of love coming true within the "desert caravan." Overall, the lyrics of the song Caravan use vivid and evocative language to paint a picture of a romantic adventure in a captivating desert.

Line by Line Meaning

Night and stars above that shine so bright
The darkness of night is illuminated by the bright stars in the sky

The myst'ry of their fading light
The enigma of the stars is the way their light dwindles

That shines upon our caravan
The light from the stars shines on the caravan where the singer and the lover are.

Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
The lover sleeps by leaning on the singer's shoulder as the caravan travels

Across the sand so I may keep
The singer is conscious of the surroundings and takes care while moving across the sand, so the lover is not disturbed.

The mem'ry of our caravan
The memory of the caravan is so dear to the singer

This is so exciting
The singer feels thrilled and exhilarated by the ambiance

You are so inviting
The lover is so attractive and captivating to the singer

Resting in my arms
The lover feels secure and protected in the singer's arms

As I thrill to the magic charms
The singer is thrilled by the enchanting and mesmerizing qualities of the lover.

Of you beside me here beneath the blue
The singer feels fortunate and overjoyed to have the lover by his side, under the blue sky

My dream of love is coming true
The singer's desire of love is fulfilling and coming true

Within our desert caravan
In the desert, in the safety of the caravan, the singer and the lover are experiencing the dream of love.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: RACHEL MARY BERKELEY PORTMAN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

Romeo Harmony

2y↑1

Night and stars above that shine so bright
The myst'ry of their fading light
That shines upon our caravan

Sleep upon my shoulder as we creep
Across the sand so I may keep
The mem'ry of our caravan

This is so exciting
You are so inviting
Resting in my arms
As I thrill to the magic charms

Of you beside me here beneath the blue
My dream of love is coming true
Within our desert caravan!

All comments from YouTube:

Hot Rhythms

5y↑5

La mejor versión que he escuchado en todos los tiempos.
Excelente. Que sensacional la interpretación del trombón por Tizol.

J. Jennings

6y↑10

I love Nat "King" Cole, and this song in particular. So damned cool.

Ivamar Alves

2y↑1

Wonderful song, sensational performance.

Romeo Harmony

2y↑1

Hérlon Fernandes

12y↑1

Interpretação fenomenal!

tuxguys

5y↑6

Nat Cole, vocalist/pianist, doing the music of Duke Ellington.
As much success as he had as a vocalist, it's barely remembered that what initially put him on the map was his piano playing.
(A similar somewhat more contemporary observation can be made about George Benson, and his guitar playing.)
This is Genius, in under 3 minutes.