Songwriter: Lester Lee Bob Russell

Producer: Lee Gillette

Blue gardenia
Now I'm alone with you
And I am, oh, so blue
She has tossed us aside

And like you, gardenia
Once I was near her heart
After the teardrops start
Where are teardrops to hide?

I lived for an hour
What more can I tell
Love bloomed like a flower
Then the petals fell

Blue gardenia
Thrown to a passing breeze
But rest in my book
Of memories

I lived for an hour
What more can I tell
Love bloomed like a flower
Then the petals fell

Blue gardenia
Thrown to a passing breeze
But rest in my book
Of memories

Nat “King” Cole

Nathaniel Adams Coles (17 March 1919 – 15 February 1965) was born in Montgomery, Alabama and used the stage name Nat “King” Cole throughout his career as a jazz pianist and later as a singer.

Cole’s first mainstream hit was “Straighten Up and Fly Right” in 1943. Bo Diddley, who performed similar folk-based material said that song was a big influence on him.

In the late 40s, Cole began recording more pop-oriented material. His stature as a pop singer was cemented by hits like “Route 66”, “Mona Lisa” and “Unforgettable”. In the 50s, virtually every home had a copy of his Christmas album.