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.

Two Loves Have I
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

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Two loves have I
And they tear me apart
Two loves have I
Both are in my heart

One is a flower
And the other a flame
Two loves have I

But they're not the same

When I'm in a gay mood
Tis then my light love I crave
Then again at times
My other love can make me a slave

I can't deny
That to both I am true
Two loves have I
Both of them are you

I can't deny
That to both I am true
Two loves have I
Both of them are you

Two loves have I
Both of them are you

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Two Loves Have I" by The Nat King Cole Trio seem to narrate a dilemma of a conflicted heart, torn between two different loves that are both present in one's life, causing great inner turmoil. It is a classic tale of a love triangle, where the singer is deeply in love with two people, but they are entirely different in their personalities and the kinds of feelings they evoke.

The first love is described as a flower, which may be interpreted as a metaphor for something delicate, tender, and fragile. This love fills the singer with light and happiness, and when they are in a good mood, they crave this love’s attention and affection.

The second love, on the other hand, is represented by a flame, a metaphor for a passion that burns hot and intense within the singer. In contrast to the light love, this love can be overwhelming and sometimes even make the singer the slave of its hold.

The lyrics repeatedly convey that both these loves belong to the same person, which heightens the gravity of the situation. It suggests that the singer cannot enthusiastically choose one over the other as they both occupy equal spaces in their heart. Ultimately, this conflicting state results in a confession of love, where the singer admits that they love both the persons equally, and interestingly, both of them are the same person.

Overall, the song's lyrics leave a bittersweet taste in the listener's mouth, that of a dilemma that seems to have no solution, and a heart that may forever remain divided.

Two Loves Have IThe Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Two Loves Have I
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics