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.

Meet Me at No Special Place
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Baby, we two can't get along,
I'm never right, you're never wrong.
So meet me at no special place,
And I'll be there at no particular time.

Baby, it just ain't common sense
Mixin' up love with arguments.
So meet me at no special place,

And I'll be there at no particular time.

I'm all fed up on stormy weather,
I'm going where it's June.
Here's hopin' I see you never
'Cause if I do, that will be too soon.

Now that I've put my heart on ice,
Missing you will seem paradise.
So meet me at no special place,
And I'll be there at no particular time.

You'd better bring along your glasses
In case I'm hard to find,
You'll wish you could see before you
As clearly as you can see behind.

You can turn back in retrospect
Of the times you stuck out your neck.
So meet me at no special place,
And I'll be there at no particular time.

All we do is make up
Then quarrel all over again,
But this is it ~ the breakup
From now on, you knew me when

So meet me at no special place,
And I'll be there at no particular time!

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song Meet Me at No Special Place is a poignant commentary on the all-too-common experience of a couple who just can't seem to make things work, despite their best efforts. The opening verse sets the tone, as the singer acknowledges the futility of their relationship, suggesting that neither party can see eye to eye: "Baby, we two can't get along, I'm never right, you're never wrong." The chorus summarizes the song's central message - that the couple should give up trying to arrange romantic rendezvous, as it inevitably leads to more conflict. Instead, the singer suggests that they should "meet me at no special place, and I'll be there at no particular time."

The verses that follow expand on this idea, with images of "stormy weather" and "mixing up love with arguments" suggesting that the singer has had their fill of fighting. They vow to "put [their] heart on ice," apparently resigned to a future without their lover. The bridge is particularly evocative, with the singer advising their partner to bring glasses to the meeting place, as they may be difficult to spot. This metaphorical representation of the emotional distance between the couple is poignant and effective.

Overall, Meet Me at No Special Place is a beautifully written song that captures the pain and longing of a relationship that's run its course. The lyrics are deftly constructed, with phrases like "missing you will seem paradise" and "turn back in retrospect" conveying complex emotions in a simple yet elegant way. The song's spare arrangement - featuring only a piano, bass, and drums - reinforces the pared-down emotional state of the singers. It's a timeless classic that still resonates with listeners today.

Line by Line Meaning

Baby, we two can't get along, I'm never right, you're never wrong.
Our arguments are getting hard to bear since we never see eye to eye.

So meet me at no special place, And I'll be there at no particular time.
Perhaps it's best for us to stop coercing each other and just see how things go without a specific plan, place, or time

Baby, it just ain't common sense Mixin' up love with arguments.
There's no point in mixing our love with unnecessary arguments since that doesn't make sense.

I'm all fed up on stormy weather, I'm going where it's June. Here's hopin' I see you never 'Cause if I do, that will be too soon.
Dealing with the conflicts between us is exhausting me, so I want to move on, hoping to avoid any encounters with you in the future.

Now that I've put my heart on ice, Missing you will seem paradise.
Nowadays, since I'm not as emotionally invested, even missing you will make me feel content.

You'd better bring along your glasses In case I'm hard to find, You'll wish you could see before you As clearly as you can see behind.
You might need glasses to quickly locate me, but you'll also realize that it's easier to know what went wrong after the fact.

You can turn back in retrospect Of the times you stuck out your neck.
Reflecting on our arguments and conflicts, you might realize how foolish it was to be so confrontational, putting so much on the line.

All we do is make up Then quarrel all over again, But this is it ~ the breakup From now on, you knew me when
It seems like the cycle of making up, quarreling, and starting over again will just never end, but this will be the final break. From now on, our interactions will be marked as precedents in lieu of our future relationship.

So meet me at no special place, And I'll be there at no particular time!
With this new mentality, I'm open to seeing where life takes us without any specific plans or time frames.

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ARTHUR TERKER, HARRY PYLE, J. RUSSEL ROBINSON

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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Comments from YouTube:

nunya biz

3y↑8

Great breakup song ! 1947, a time of realignment & change...& you could always understand Nat's words ! Both fun & thoughtful ! 🌞

Trombonology Erstwhile

3y↑4

I've always gotten a huge kick out of this side -- Nat's delivery of these lyrics, both amusing and appropriate to a relationship that has run its course, is perfect. Ultra groovy!