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.

The Lonely One
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

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There is a very quiet boy
They call the lonely one
There is sorrow in his face
And sadness in his eyes
And if you look into the heart
Within the lonely one
You'll find it's been deceived
That broken was in lies.

Is it good to have pride?
With the longing to hide
All your heartaches and fears.
Is it wise to be cold, and to
Struggle, to hold back with tears.
If you could only see the boy
They call the lonely one,

You'd know that since you're gone
The lonely one is me.

Overall Meaning

"The Lonely One" by The Nat King Cole Trio explores the inner turmoil of a young boy who is constantly feeling isolated and neglected by society. The song is composed in a slow, melancholic tune, which perfectly complements the deep feelings of pain and misery that the lyrics evoke.

The song starts with a powerful line, "There is a very quiet boy, they call the lonely one". Here, the singer introduces us to the singer of the song- a shy, vulnerable, and lonely boy who is always in his own world. A closer look into the boy's heart reveals a broken soul, filled with lies and deceit, and deep pain. The boy's sorrowful face and sad eyes speak volumes about his inner turmoil, and the lyrics perfectly capture his delicate state of mind.

In the second verse, the song raises some questions about the validity of emotions and pride- "Is it good to have pride? With the longing to hide all your heartaches and fears. Is it wise to be cold, and to struggle, to hold back with tears?" These questions are reflective of the boy's thoughts and showcase how he feels overwhelmed by his emotions while struggling to keep them all bottled up. Lastly, the song delivers the most poignant line- "If you could only see the boy they call the lonely one, you'd know that since you're gone, the lonely one is me." This line reveals the boy's innermost feelings and his desire to be heard, understood, and loved.

The Lonely OneThe Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

The Lonely One
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics