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.

You Can't Make Me Love You
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
My luck is changing, it's gotten from
simply rotten to something worse
Who knows, some day I will win too.
I'll begin to reach my prime.

Now though I see what our end is,

All I can spend is just my time.

I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.

Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find

Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.

Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.

Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.

Rome wasn't built in a day, kid.
You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
But I am willing to wait, dear,
Your little mate, dear, will not forget.

You have a lifetime before you.
I'll adore you, come what may.

Please don't be blue for the present,
When it's so pleasant to hear you say

I can't give you anything but love, baby.
That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.

Dream awhile, scheme awhile
We're sure to find

Happiness and I guess
All those things you've always pined for.

Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby.
Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.

Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby.
I can't give you anything but love.

Overall Meaning

The Nat King Cole Trio's song "You Can't Make Me Love You" reveals the struggles of a man who is broke but still longs to give his lover everything she wants. The lyrics show that he is aware of his financial limitations, but he still dreams of providing his partner with everything she desires. He acknowledges that he can only offer her love at the moment since he has nothing else to give her. However, he reassures her that they will find happiness through their love and that he is willing to wait for the day when he can finally give her the life she deserves.

The song is a commentary on the universal experience of being in love and wanting to provide for one's partner but being unable to do so due to financial constraints. It is a declaration of hope and faith in the future, indicating that one day, things will change for the better.

The lyrics are poignant and heartfelt, evoking a sense of longing in the listener. The song's melody is soft and soothing, complementing the lyrics' sentiments perfectly. It is a timeless piece of music that continues to resonate with people of all ages and backgrounds.

Line by Line Meaning

Gee, but it's tough to be broke, kid.
Being broke is a painful experience.

It's not a joke, kid, it's a curse.
Poverty isn't funny; it's a curse.

My luck is changing, it's gotten from simply rotten to something worse
My luck has gradually deteriorated from bad to worse.

Who knows, some day I will win too. I'll begin to reach my prime.
Perhaps in the future, I will thrive and reach my potential.

Now though I see what our end is, All I can spend is just my time.
Although I understand where we are headed, all I can do is use my time meaningfully for now.

I can't give you anything but love, baby. That's the only thing I've plenty of,baby.
I can't offer anything more substantial than love, but that's the one thing that I have a lot of.

Dream awhile, scheme awhile We're sure to find Happiness and I guess All those things you've always pined for.
Let's dream and plan; we'll eventually find joy and everything else you've ever desired.

Gee I'd like to see you looking swell, baby. Diamond bracelets Woolworth doesn't sell, baby.
It will be fantastic to watch you look so beautiful, with diamond bracelets that can't be bought at Woolworth.

Till that lucky day you know darned well, baby. I can't give you anything but love.
Until that fortunate day arrives, I can only offer you love.

Rome wasn't built in a day, kid. You have to pay, kid, for what you get.
Great accomplishments require patience and hard work to be fruitful.

But I am willing to wait, dear, Your little mate, dear, will not forget.
I'm ready to wait for as long as it takes; you're special to me, and I'll always remember our journey together.

You have a lifetime before you. I'll adore you, come what may.
You have a long life ahead of you, and I'll always cherish and love you, regardless of what lies ahead.

Please don't be blue for the present, When it's so pleasant to hear you say
Don't worry about the present; I'm so happy to hear you talk.

Lyrics © SHAPIRO BERNSTEIN & CO. INC. , Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DOROTHY FIELDS, JIMMY MC HUGH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

You Can't Make Me Love YouThe Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics

You Can't Make Me Love You
The Nat King Cole Trio Lyrics