Nat “King” Cole

Songwriter: Billy Strayhorn

Producer: Lee Gillette

I used to visit all the very gay places
Those come what may places
Where one relaxes on the axis of the wheel of life
To get the feel of life
From jazz and cocktails

The girls I knew had sad and sullen gray faces
With distingué traces
That used to be there, you could see where they'd been washed away
By too many through the day
Twelve o'clock tales

Then you came along with your siren of song
To tempt me to madness
I thought for a while that your poignant smile
Was tinged with the sadness
Of a great love for me

Ah yes, I was wrong
Again
I was wrong

Life is lonely again
And only last year
Everything seemed so sure
Now life is awful again
A troughful of hearts
Could only be a bore

A week in Paris will ease the bite of it
All I care is to smile in spite of it

I'll forget you, I will
While yet you are still
Burning inside my brain

Romance is mush
Stifling those who strive
I'll live a lush life
In some small dive

And there I'll be
While I rot
With the rest of those
Whose lives are lonely, too

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.

more tracks from the album

The Nat King Cole Story

From the album

The Nat King Cole Story (1961)

Nat “King” Cole popular songs

Lush LifeNat “King” Cole

Nat “King” Cole

The Nat King Cole Story