Save The Bones For Henry Jones ('Cause Henry Don't Eat No Meat)
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.

Save The Bones For Henry Jones
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Tonight I'll serve a supper,
We'll eat some food that's rare.
And at the head of the table,
I'll place brother Henry's chair-
Invite all the local big dogs,
We'll laugh and talk and eat,
But we'll' save the bones for Henry Jones,
‘cause he don't eat no meat-

Today I'll go to market-
and buy a lot of fish,
That will thrill Brother Henry,
Because that's his special dish.-
Get a large can of molasses,
so we'll have something sweet,
But save the bones for Henry Jones,
“cause he don't eat no meat.

Henry is not a drinker,
he rarely takes a nip,
He don't need a napkin,
‘cause the things he eats don't drip.
One day we had a banquet,
It really was a bake,
They started off with some short ribs,
they finished off with a steak.
But when the feat was over,
brother henry just kept his seat,
and we served the bones to Henry Jones,




‘cause he don't eat no meat.
To- he don't eat no meat.

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song “Save The Bones For Henry Jones” is a humorous and playful ode to a friend or family member who doesn't eat meat. The song paints a picture of a dinner party, with the singer serving rare and delicious food, but always setting aside the leftover bones for Henry Jones. The song is filled with witty wordplay and fun rhymes, as well as a catchy melody that will have you humming along.


The lyrics playfully suggest that Henry Jones's aversion to meat is his defining characteristic, with lines like “Save the bones for Henry Jones, ‘cause he don't eat no meat” repeated throughout the song. The song also plays up the idea that Henry Jones is something of an oddity or outsider, with lines like “He don't need a napkin, ‘cause the things he eats don't drip,” and “Henry is not a drinker, he rarely takes a nip.” Overall, the song is a fun and lighthearted celebration of a friend who marches to the beat of his own drum.


Line by Line Meaning

Tonight I'll serve a supper,
I will prepare a meal for dinner tonight


We'll eat some food that's rare.
The food we eat will be unique or uncommon


And at the head of the table,
At the most important seat at the table


I'll place brother Henry's chair-
I will have brother Henry sit in the most important seat at the table


Invite all the local big dogs,
Invite all the important and influential people in the area


We'll laugh and talk and eat,
We will enjoy our time together while eating


But we'll' save the bones for Henry Jones,
We will keep the scraps and leftovers for Henry Jones


‘cause he don't eat no meat-
Henry Jones is a vegetarian


Today I'll go to market-
I will go shopping at the market today


and buy a lot of fish,
I will buy plenty of fish


That will thrill Brother Henry,
Henry will be very happy about it


Because that's his special dish.-
Fish is Henry's favorite food


Get a large can of molasses,
Buy a big can of molasses


so we'll have something sweet,
So we can have something sweet for dessert


But save the bones for Henry Jones,
Again, we will keep the scraps and leftovers for Henry Jones


“cause he don't eat no meat.
Once again, Henry Jones is a vegetarian


Henry is not a drinker,
Henry does not drink alcohol


he rarely takes a nip,
He seldom has a drink


He don't need a napkin,
He doesn't even need a napkin to wipe his hands or mouth


‘cause the things he eats don't drip.
Because the food he eats does not drip or make a mess


One day we had a banquet,
One time we had a big formal meal


It really was a bake,
It was a big and impressive event


They started off with some short ribs,
The meal started with a specific type of meat


they finished off with a steak.
The meal ended with another type of meat


But when the feat was over,
When the meal was finished


brother henry just kept his seat,
Henry did not participate in eating the meat dishes


and we served the bones to Henry Jones,
Once again, we gave Henry Jones the leftovers


‘cause he don't eat no meat.
And once again, the reason is because Henry Jones is a vegetarian




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: DANIEL BARKER, HENRY MCCOY JONES, MICHAEL H. GOLDSEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

Joao Alfredo

Uma dupla sensacional e um excelente acompanhamento .

Tom Thompson

Wonderful! Thanks for posting. I've loved this tune ever since I've seen NKC & JM's performance on Judy Garland Presents.

I had yet to hear Nat's trio and Mercer's studio recording of same...
Magnificent!
The sublime guitar solo leading into the last verse is... CLASS. Upvote x 1000
Thanks again

Lowe Quay Shush

A beat that keeps me bopping! Tweedle Dee - Tweedle Da!

1groundfog

1990s b/came pop at least w SF jazz...johnny and king cole

Sammy wammy bo bammy

Heck yeah

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