I Just Can't See For Lookin'
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 Just Can't See For Lookin'
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

(Robinson, stamford)

Maybe I talk too much,
Maybe I've lost m' touch.
I guess I don't know what's cookin'
'Cause I just can't see for lookin'.

Other boys have their chicks,
Two, three, four, five or six.
I don't seem to get a bookin'
'Cause I just can't see for lookin'.

I'm kinda crazy,
Like a daisy
Up that well known tree, poor me.
I'm sittin', hopin',
Horoscopin'
Won't some sista take a chance with me?

I've been around the town,
Everyone brings me down.
I give up hope, I'm just a dope.
There ain't no gals for hookin',
I just can't see for lookin'.

~interlude~

I've been around the town,
Everyone brings me down.
I give up hope, I'm just a dope.
There ain't no gals for hookin',
I just can't see for lookin'...





No, just can't see for lookin'...
No, no.

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song "I Just Can't See For Lookin'" is a lamentation of the singer's inability to attract love and affection from women. The song starts with the singer admitting that he might talk too much or have lost his touch with women, but the main issue is that he just can't see what's going on around him. He's so preoccupied with finding love that he fails to see the opportunities that might be right in front of him. The second verse emphasizes the singer's frustration as he observes other boys having multiple chicks while he struggles to find even one. The bridge of the song describes the singer's desperation, hoping that someone will take a chance on him.


The lyrics reveal a sense of desperation and loneliness that the singer is feeling. He's clearly struggling with his confidence and comparing himself negatively to others. He can't understand why he can't find someone to be with, and it's causing him a great deal of pain. The line "there ain't no gals for hookin'" suggests that he's tried everything he can think of to attract someone, but nothing seems to work for him.


The song depicts a universal feeling of unrequited love and the struggle to find meaningful connections with others. It highlights the ways in which we can miss opportunities and become caught up in our own insecurities and desires. The repetition of the phrase "I just can't see for lookin'" emphasizes the singer's inability to see what's happening around him and also reflects the idea that sometimes we can be blinded by our own emotions.


Line by Line Meaning

Maybe I talk too much,
Possibly, I excessively speak,


Maybe I've lost m' touch.
Maybe I'm no longer skillful.


I guess I don't know what's cookin'
I suppose I don't understand what's happening.


'Cause I just can't see for lookin'.
Due to my inability to focus, I'm having difficulties sensing my surroundings.


Other boys have their chicks,
Other guys have their ladies.


Two, three, four, five or six.
They have them in multiples.


I don't seem to get a bookin'
I don't get any requests to perform.


'Cause I just can't see for lookin'.
I've been unable to recognize opportunities because of my distracted nature.


I'm kinda crazy,
I'm a little strange.


Like a daisy
Like a flower.


Up that well-known tree, poor me.
I'm in trouble, like the flower on the tree.


I'm sittin', hopin',
I'm sitting, thinking,


Horoscopin'
Consulting astrology,


Won't some sista take a chance with me?
Can I please have the opportunity to build a relationship with a black woman?


I've been around the town,
I've gone to different places in the city.


Everyone brings me down.
Everyone depresses me.


I give up hope, I'm just a dope.
I'm not smart, I've stopped believing in my possibilities.


There ain't no gals for hookin',
There are no women available for me to date.


I just can't see for lookin'.
My inability to focus is impairing my capacity to land a woman.


No, just can't see for lookin'...
No, I can't focus on what's important.


No, no.
No, it's a negative situation, and there's no hope for it.




Contributed by Benjamin K. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

Jay Young

This brings back fond, fond memories.   This was Cole's most artistic period, with his trio.  I respect his commercial period.  After all, there were bills to pay that his artistic period couldn't keep up with.  Hancock Park takes a lotta moola just to water the lawn.

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