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.

How High The Moon
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

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Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
There is no moon above
When love is far away too
Till it comes true
That you love me as I love you

Somewhere there's music
How near, how far
Somewhere there's heaven
It's where you are
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon
Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Somewhere there's music
How faint the tune
Somewhere there's heaven
How high the moon
The darkest night would shine
If you would come to me soon

Until you will, how still my heart
How high the moon

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song How High The Moon is a beautiful love ballad that speaks of a love that is distant and seemingly unattainable. The first two lines of the song, "Somewhere there's music, how faint the tune," sets the tone for the entire song - there is a sense of longing and yearning that permeates the lyrics. The next line, "Somewhere there's heaven, how high the moon," is a metaphor for the depth of this love - it is so powerful and intense that it seems to reach the very heavens.

The second stanza follows a similar structure, with the first two lines stating, "Somewhere there's music, how near, how far," highlighting again the theme of distance. The song then speaks to the idea that even in the darkest of nights, this love shines so brightly that it could light up the entire sky. The final two lines of each verse, "Until you will, how still my heart, how high the moon," convey the idea of waiting for love and the intense emotional state that can come with it.

Overall, How High The Moon is a beautiful ode to love that is distant, yet still deeply felt. The lyrics convey a sense of waiting and yearning, with the powerful metaphor of the moon representing the power and depth of the love being sung about.

How High The MoonThe Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

How High The Moon
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics