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.

For You My Love
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I love you for sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I'll give you my heart

I love you, and you alone were meant for me
Please, give your loving heart to me
And say we'll never part

I think of you every morning
Dream of you every night
Darling, I'm never lonely
Whenever you are in sight

I love you for sentimental reasons
I hope you do believe me
I've given you my heart

I love you for sentimental reasons

I hope you do believe me
I've given you my heart

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song "For You My Love" is a classic love ballad that speaks to the depths of emotion and devotion that can be experienced in a romantic relationship. The song's lyrics express the singer's love and passion for his partner, stating that his feelings are based on sentimental reasons that go beyond mere physical attraction. Through the lyrics, the singer promises his love's heart, expressing his desire for them to be together forever.

The opening lines, "I love you for sentimental reasons / I hope you do believe me / I'll give you my heart," capture the essence of the song. These lines set the stage for the rest of the lyrics by expressing the singer's deep love and desire for his partner, assuring them of his sincerity and offering his heart as proof. The singer then goes on to express his belief that his love was meant for him alone and pleads for his partner to give him their heart in return.

Throughout the song, the singer reminisces about his lover, stating that he thinks of them every morning, dreams of them every night, and is never lonely when they are together. These lines further emphasize the depth of feeling and attachment between the two lovers, painting a picture of two people deeply in love and devoted to each other.

Overall, "For You My Love" is a timeless love song that speaks to the power of romantic connection and the depth of emotion and devotion that can be experienced through love.

Line by Line Meaning

I love you for sentimental reasons
My affection for you is based on feelings of nostalgia and romance

I hope you do believe me
I sincerely desire for you to trust and believe in my love

I'll give you my heart
I am willing to offer you my entire being and devotion

I love you, and you alone were meant for me
My affection is solely reserved for you, as we were destined to be together

Please, give your loving heart to me
I implore you to reciprocate my love and devotion by offering your heart to me

And say we'll never part
Let us commit to staying together and never separating

I think of you every morning
My first thoughts of the day are filled with thoughts of you

Dream of you every night
You are consistently on my mind even when I am asleep

Darling, I'm never lonely
The mere thought of you brings me joy and wards off any feelings of loneliness

Whenever you are in sight
Being in your presence alone is enough to bring me happiness and comfort

I love you for sentimental reasons
My love is based on emotional memories and feelings that cannot be easily explained

I hope you do believe me
It is important to me that you trust and have faith in my love for you

I've given you my heart
My heart and love belong to you and only you

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: William Best, Deek Watson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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