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.

When I Take My Sugar To Tea
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I'm just a little Jackie Horner
Since I met my sugar cane
That gang of mine has been revealin'
That they're feelin' sore
I left the lamp light on the corner
For the moon in lover's lane
I'm doing things I never did before

When I take my sugar to tea
All the boys are jealous of me
'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
When I take my sugar to tea

I'm a rowdy-dowdy--that's me
She's a high-hat baby--that's she
So I never take her where the gang goes
When I take my sugar to tea

Ev'ry Sunday afternoon
We forget about our cares
Rubbing elbows at the Ritz
With those millionaires

When I take my sugar to tea
I'm as Ritzy as can be

'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
When I take my sugar to tea

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song "When I Take My Sugar To Tea" is a tale of a happy couple enjoying their afternoon tea while the singer's friends lament their absence. The song opens with the singer acknowledging his new love and the changes it has brought about in him. He is no longer interested in the same activities as his friends and instead chooses to spend his time with his "sugar cane" in romantic locations such as "lover's lane."

The envy of the singer's friends is palpable throughout the song. They are clearly upset that he no longer joins them on their escapades, and the singer takes great pleasure in rubbing their noses in his happy relationship. The couple opts for a more sophisticated scene, trading in the corner lamplight for the Ritz, where they can rub elbows with millionaires and feel as "Ritzy" as possible. The song ends with the singer and his love enjoying their Sunday afternoons at the Ritz, without a care in the world.

Overall, the song is a lighthearted tribute to the joys of young love and the sacrifices that come with it. While the singer's friends may not understand his newfound happiness, he is more than happy to keep his world and his "sugar cane" entirely separate from theirs.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm just a little Jackie Horner
I am a shy and unassuming person.

Since I met my sugar cane
Since I have met my sweetheart.

That gang of mine has been revealin'
My friends have been letting me know.

That they're feelin' sore
That they are feeling jealous.

I left the lamp light on the corner
I kept a light on for her in case she needed help finding me.

For the moon in lover's lane
So that we could enjoy a romantic evening under the moonlight.

I'm doing things I never did before
I am experiencing new things and behaving differently than I used to.

When I take my sugar to tea
When I go out with my sweetheart for a cup of tea.

All the boys are jealous of me
My male friends are envious of my companion.

'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
Because I prefer to spend time alone with her instead of hanging out with the boys.

I'm a rowdy-dowdy--that's me
I am usually loud and lively.

She's a high-hat baby--that's she
She is a sophisticated and elegant woman.

Ev'ry Sunday afternoon
Every Sunday in the afternoon.

We forget about our cares
We put our worries aside and enjoy our time together.

Rubbing elbows at the Ritz
Socializing with wealthy and influential people in a fancy and luxurious place.

With those millionaires
In the company of very rich people.

'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
Because I prefer to take her to sophisticated places instead of the usual spots.

When I take my sugar to tea
When I go out with my sweetheart for a cup of tea.

I'm as Ritzy as can be
I am as refined and classy as possible.

Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@mitina4608

When I take my sugar to tea
帶著我的甜心寶貝去喝茶的時候
All the boys are jealous of me
所有的男孩都忌妒著我
'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
因為我從來不帶她到狐群狗黨會出沒的地方
When I take my sugar to tea
當我帶甜心寶貝去喝茶的時候

I'm a rowdy-dowdy - that's me
我是個市井小民，那就是我
She's a high-hat baby - that's she
她是個上流淑女，那就是她
So I never take her where the gang goes
所以我從來不帶她到狐群狗黨會出沒的地方
When I take my sugar to tea
當我帶甜心寶貝去喝茶的時候

Ev'ry Sunday afternoon
每個週日午後
We forget about our cares
我們忘卻煩惱
Rubbing elbows at the Ritz
With those millionaires
在麗池跟上流社會的人們打成一片

When I take my sugar to tea
帶我的甜心寶貝去喝茶的時候
I'm as Ritzy as can be
我簡直上流到不行
'Cause I never take her where the gang goes
因為我從來不帶她到狐群狗黨會出沒的地方
When I take my sugar to tea
當我帶我的甜心寶貝去喝茶的時候

All comments from YouTube:

@aileenlightbody91

5y↑6

This is what I call music. Sadly they don't come like this any more.

@joseceraia

3y↑3

you' re right

@leoray1234

3y↑4

No one since Nat and his trio with Wesley Prince and Oscar Moore has ever topped this effortlessly cool swing...the BEST

@filsdejeannoir1776

3y↑2

Conga and semi-acoustic guitar. I never realised he was so avant garde! That guitarist is fab! And I love his crunchy harmonies on piano. He's such great jazz pianist! I realise I didn't know his music well at all!

@fletcherchristian1611

32w

Oh they were the days ,thanks for posting!!

@JamesBrown-ij1px

I love this song.

@samueltorres6547

4y↑5

Aún que soy Mexicano y muy chico me gusta mucho esta canción
Saludos🥺

@jacksprat3009

5y↑2

Nat and his trio the epitome of suave plus cool.

@mellow3508

8y↑17

This is beautiful, I'd rather listen to this then any of this generations music ❤️

@starbuono3333

9y↑5

Man !! this is the epitome of COOOOOOL !!!!!!!!!

@latercerapalabra

14y↑1

Woooow, I love Nat King Cole

@marykelleyhoppe9250

11y↑2

awesome. my dad likes to tell the story of his first date with my mom, when this was playing...

@CQ20Queen

13y↑2

Never heard this song but man oh man, I LOVE! Wow!!

@northstar9613

14y↑1

Elegant, welcoming and sooo much fun!!!

@bluesborn

12y↑2

Man I love this trio stuff.

@taravananiko

12y↑2

thanks great stuff, just told my retaurant pianist about it. He played it within an hour thanks to your download. Fitted the mood just right. Love Nat King Cole

@bennyrobertson

11y↑2

When Nat turned pop crooner, it was the pop world's gain and the jazz world's great loss. He was one of the great jazz pianists of all time and highly influential on the likes of Oscar Peterson and Diana Krall.

@Wixom2200

True, very true.

@SELMER1947

6y↑1

Incredibly good !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

@AulicExclusiva

13y↑1

Wonderful version. Thank you.

@MARKMANIATT

6y↑3

Some once asked Fats,”What is Swing?”
Well here it is!

@jerryj920

9y↑4

Nat King Cole...'nuff said.

@BigBandBeatDotCom

13y↑2

Nat makes it sound easy.

@doyasteve

11y↑1

Thanks for sharing this.

@jamesmanolides3813

10y↑2

the same goes for ray charles, one of the great jazz pianists. a talent not overlooked by ertegun, (atlantic) but once he went to abc it was all over.