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.

I'm a Shy Guy
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm just a shy guy,
My, I'm a 'fraid-to-try guy
No lie.
There's a gal that I idolize
But I just can't seem to hypnotize.
And when she pets me,
You betcha, it gets me.
And everytime I hold her hand,

I'm just too shy to say the things I plan.
Everytime she's close to me,
My heart is filled with ecstasy,
And like a dope, I let the chance slip by.
There, I should have told her then
But all I did was sit and grin,
And I ended up so mad that I could cry.
'Cause I'm a shy guy
Wish I was a sly guy
Then I could say, "Baby, baby, I love you"
Just like those guys in moving pictures all do.
I'm just a shy guy
Wish I was a sly guy

Then I could say, "Baby, baby, I love you"
Just like those guys in moving pictures all do

Overall Meaning

The song "I'm a Shy Guy" by The Nat King Cole Trio is a heartfelt confession of a man struggling to express his feelings for the woman he idolizes. The song portrays the singer as a shy, self-conscious individual who is unable to express his love despite his strong emotions. The lyrics emphasize the singer's despair as he watches opportunities slip away, unable to communicate his feelings to the woman he loves.

The opening lines of the song, "I'm just a shy guy, My, I'm a 'fraid-to-try guy, No lie," set the tone for the song, as the singer's inability to express his emotions is highlighted. The lyrics suggest that though the singer feels strongly for the woman, he is too nervous to reveal his true feelings. The second stanza highlights the intensity of his feelings, as he describes how her affection affects him, stating, "And when she pets me, You betcha, it gets me. And every time I hold her hand, I'm just too shy to say the things I plan." The lyrics suggest that the singer's shyness is a major obstacle to his romantic aspirations.

Despite feeling overwhelmed by his emotions, the singer seems to believe that he could be happier if he were more assertive. This is evident in the third stanza, where he states, "Wish I was a sly guy, Then I could say, "Baby, baby, I love you." The song ends on a melancholic note, as the singer acknowledges his failure to express his love and imagines what could have been.

Overall, "I'm a Shy Guy" is a touching portrayal of the pain caused by unexpressed love. The lyrics are characterized by a sense of longing and melancholy, underscored by the singer's inability to overcome his shyness.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm just a shy guy,
I lack confidence or assertiveness in social situations.

My, I'm a 'fraid-to-try guy
I have fear of failure that limits my actions.

No lie.
This is not an exaggeration, it is the truth.

There's a gal that I idolize
I have admiration for a specific woman.

But I just can't seem to hypnotize.
I am unable to captivate her attention or affection.

And when she pets me,
When she shows me affection or attention...

You betcha, it gets me.
...I feel intensely affected by it.

And everytime I hold her hand,
When I am physically intimate with her...

I'm just too shy to say the things I plan.
...my inhibitions prevent me from expressing myself as I intend.

Everytime she's close to me,
Every moment we spend together...

My heart is filled with ecstasy,
...I experience great joy or pleasure.

And like a dope, I let the chance slip by.
But due to my own foolishness or lack of action, I miss opportunities.

There, I should have told her then
I realize now that I should have communicated my feelings at that moment...

But all I did was sit and grin,
...instead, I merely smiled nervously.

And I ended up so mad that I could cry.
I am frustrated and upset with myself to the point of tears.

'Cause I'm a shy guy
My timid nature is the root of this problem.

Wish I was a sly guy
I desire to be more cunning and confident.

Then I could say, "Baby, baby, I love you"
If I had more bravado, I would express my feelings to her.

Just like those guys in moving pictures all do.
I am envious of the charismatic and self-assured men depicted in films.

I'm just a shy guy
I lack confidence or assertiveness in social situations.

Wish I was a sly guy
I desire to be more cunning and confident.

Then I could say, "Baby, baby, I love you"
If I had more bravado, I would express my feelings to her.

Just like those guys in moving pictures all do.
I am envious of the charismatic and self-assured men depicted in films.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., Peermusic Publishing
Written by: NAT KING COLE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

Alan Senzaki

4y↑14

My mom use to see him live all the time in a small club in hollywood in the early forties before he became known as a singer. What an incredible artist.

Spark _

4y↑2

SO~JEALOUS !!! YOUR MOM WAS SUPER LUCKY !!! CRAZY LUCKY ! He died a year before I was born ! His voice was my 1st love for a singer ! I was 5 !!!💜👍💖💘💜💜💜💜🥁🎵🎶🎹🎤🐲🐉😻😻😻👍👍👍👍