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.

Makin' Whoopee
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Another bride
Another june
Makin' whoopee

Another sunny - honeymoon
Another season
Another reason
For makin' whoopee

A lot o' shoes
A lot o' rice
The groom is nervous
He answers twice
It's really killin'
That he's so willin'
To make whoopee
Picture a little love nest
Down where the roses cling
Picture the same sweet love nest
See what a year can bring
He's washin' dishes
And baby clo-othes
He's so ambitious
He even sews
But don't forget folks
That's what you get folks
For makin' whoopee
He's washin' dishes
And baby clo-othes
He's so ambitious
He even sews
But don't forget folks

That's what you get folks
For makin' whoopee, whoopee, whoopee-ee

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of The Nat King Cole Trio's song Makin' Whoopee tell a story of a couple who have just gotten married and are embarking on their honeymoon. The lyrics use the term "whoopee" to refer to lovemaking and the couple's eagerness to begin their physical relationship. The lyrics describe the groom's nervousness, implying that he might not be experienced in this area but is willing to try.

The lyrics then transition to a year later, where the couple has settled into their home together, and the groom is doing household chores such as washing dishes and baby clothes. The lyrics convey his ambition and eagerness to contribute to the household tasks, even going as far as to sew. However, the chorus reminds us that "that's what you get, folks, for making whoopee" - a possible commentary on how quickly the honeymoon period can end and the hard work and responsibilities of marriage.

Line by Line Meaning

Another bride
There's another woman getting married

Another june
It's another month of summer and weddings

Makin' whoopee
The couple is having sex

Another sunny - honeymoon
The newlyweds are going on another vacation

Another season
It's another time of year for weddings

Another reason
There's always a reason to get married

For makin' whoopee
To have sex

A lot o' shoes
The bride has a lot of shoes for the wedding

A lot o' rice
There's a lot of rice being thrown

The groom is nervous
The groom is anxious

He answers twice
He's eager to please

It's really killin'
It's really hurting him emotionally

That he's so willin'
He's so eager to have sex

To make whoopee
To have sex

Picture a little love nest
Imagine a cozy home for the couple

Down where the roses cling
In a place where roses grow

Picture the same sweet love nest
Imagine that same home after a year

See what a year can bring
Reflect on how much can change in a year

He's washin' dishes
He's doing household chores

And baby clo-othes
He's doing laundry for the baby

He's so ambitious
He's eager to work hard and provide for his family

He even sews
He's willing to learn new skills to help out

But don't forget folks
Remember

That's what you get folks
These are the consequences

For makin' whoopee
For choosing to have sex and getting married

whoopee-ee
A playful emphasis on the word 'whoopee'

Contributed by Addison J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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Comments from YouTube:

Biscuit Boy

9y↑1

Thanks for the video! Sound great!

John Whitehead

9y↑1

Simply Lovely

Vernon Ndimeni

4y↑2

At Ohlange High School KZN South Africa, this song was rendered beautifully by the school’s classy jazz musical group, amaJazzojites, when they would occasionally entertain the school in the school chapel, during the reign of principal Mr. S. D. Ngcobo. 🙏🏿🙏🏿🙏🏿. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ohlange_High_School