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.

Dream A Little Dream Of Me
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me

Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be

Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you

But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's "Dream A Little Dream of Me" is a classic love song that reflects on the desire for connection and affection. The opening lines talk about the stars shining bright above, almost as if the universe is in sync with the love. The night breezes whisper "I love you", sending a message of hope for the romantic relationship to come. The song takes the listener on a journey of the lead singer's longing for their partner through the lyrics, with lines such as "just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me" and "while I'm alone and blue as can be". The tone of the song shifts as the singer expresses a hopeful future, saying "sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you" and urging their lover to "dream a little dream of me”.

The repeated lines "I'm longing to linger till dawn" and "still craving your kiss" convey the strong desire for the lover’s companionship, while likely reflecting the era in which the song was written; affection was not always as easy to acquire as it is today. The use of the verb "linger" emphasizes the longing for companionship, while the repetition of "dream a little dream of me" reinforces the singer's yearning to be missed and loved.

Line by Line Meaning

Stars shining bright above you
The stars are illuminating above you with brightness and beauty.

Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
The winds of the night carry a subtle message of love that can be heard in the rustling of leaves.

Birds singing in the sycamore tree
The birds are joyfully singing their melody perched on the branches of the sycamore tree.

Dream a little dream of me
Please, just allow yourself to dream a little dream of me.

Say "Night-ie night" and kiss me
Say goodnight to me and leave me with a tender kiss.

Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
Hold me close and let me know how much you will miss me until we meet again.

While I'm alone and blue as can be
As I am now, alone and feeling sad and melancholic.

Dream a little dream of me
Please, just allow yourself to dream a little dream of me.

Stars fading, but I linger on, dear
The stars are fading away but I am still here, lingering on with my thoughts.

Still craving your kiss
I am still longing for your sweet kisses.

I'm longing to linger till dawn, dear
I wish to stay here with you until the dawn breaks and the day arrives.

Just saying this
I am just expressing my true feelings.

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Wishing you sweet and peaceful dreams until the sun finds you in the morning.

Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
May your dreams be so pleasant that you forget all your worries.

But in your dreams whatever they be
No matter what your dreams may be.

Dream a little dream of me
Please, just allow yourself to dream a little dream of me.

Lyrics © DistroKid, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Fabian Andre, Gus Kahn, Wilbur Schwandt

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@zangice5877

4y↑12

Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper "I love you"
Birds singing in a sycamore tree
Dream a little dream of me

Say nighty night and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you miss me
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries behind you
But in your dreams whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

Stars fading but I linger on dear
Still craving your kiss
I'm longing to linger till dawn dear
Just saying this

Sweet dreams till sunbeams find you
Sweet dreams that leave all worries far behind you
And in your dreams
Whatever they be
Dream a little dream of me

All comments from YouTube:

@zangice5877

4y↑12

@jenniferlopez3554

3y↑1

Nice 👌🏻 Thanxxx 🙏🏻

@keylacasos529

2y↑2

Estoy aquí por el manga "Jazz for two" :v
Esto es una obra de arte

@jenniferlopez3554

3y↑2

That is what I call JAZZ music 👌🏻

@viewst321

9y↑4

Thanks for posting. When I was a boy Nat King Cole had a 30-minute live TV show which I watched religiously. I have serious nostalgic pangs hearing this.