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Nat King Cole - Nature Boy

Nat King Cole - Nature Boy Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Best Of Nat King Cole
Released: 1947

Nature Boy Lyrics

There was a boy
A very strange enchanted boy
They say he wandered very far, very far
Over land and sea
A little shy and sad of eye
But very wise was he

And then one day
A magic day he passed my way
And while we spoke of many things
Fools and kings
This he said to me
The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return

The greatest thing you'll ever learn
Is just to love and be loved in return

Writer/s: EDEN AHBEZ
Publisher: DAVID J. JANOWIAK D/B/A GOLDEN WORLD
Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Nature Boy

This song was written by Eden Ahbez, one of the strangest songwriters of the pre-Hippie era. He was a beatnik poet, but more accurately a proto-Hippie, choosing to wear long hair, a full beard and long, white, flowing garments that promoted a Christ-like appearance. He lived in Griffith Park in Los Angeles and ate fruit, vegetables and nuts. Ahbez was born in Brooklyn in 1908, and he claimed to have been raised in an orphanage and to have crossed the US on foot 8 times before age 35. He moved to Los Angeles in the '40s, lived on 3 dollars a week, and lectured on Hollywood street corners about Oriental mysticism.

Ahbez implored Nat King Cole's manager to look at his manuscript of "Nature Boy." Cole recognized the Yiddish melody, liked the lyrics and added it to his act. It was well received so Cole decided to record it. One problem: Cole and Capitol Records could not find Ahbez in order to secure the publishing rights. Finally they located Ahbez, camped beneath the first L in the "Hollywood" sign.

Nat King Cole recorded one other Ahbez song - "Land of Love." Ahbez released his own album in 1960 called Eden's Island. He spent time with Brian Wilson before The Beach Boys recorded Pet Sounds. Ahbez, his wife, Anna, and their son Zoma lived in Griffith Park with their bicycle, sleeping bags and a juicer. With their unusual lifestyle, the family became legendary.

According to his friend Joe Romersa, Ahbez wanted to correct the last lyric. He decided that "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love and be loved in return," was not really what he wanted to say, since to be loved in return is too much of a deal and has nothing to do with love. Ahbez said that the last line should be, "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is to love, just to love, and be loved."

Paul McCartney told Mojo magazine October 2008 that "since I was a kid I'd always loved the melody and words of that song." He added: "The writer is one of these guys who came and went, a little bit of a hippy in his day. He wrote this rather strange little song when you look at the lyrics - it's rather gay! In a nice way."

This was the first song Nat King Cole recorded where he was credited as a solo artist. His previous recordings were as the King Cole Trio, where he was the piano player and lead vocalist. On "Nature Boy," he didn't play the piano, which to this point was considered his strong suit. It marked a turning point for Cole, who became known for vocal talents on songs with orchestral arrangements; his next two hits were in this style: "Mona Lisa" and "Too Young." Before Capitol Records signed Frank Sinatra, Cole was their biggest star.

David Bowie teamed up with Massive Attack to cover the song for the central theme in the Nicole Kidman movie Moulin Rouge.

Arthur Lucan - Where Is My Sunday Potato?

Arthur Lucan - Where Is My Sunday Potato? Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Babes In The Wood
Released: 1947

Where Is My Sunday Potato? Lyrics

Where Is My Sunday Potato?

As might be suspected from the title, this is a novelty song, but one that, curiously, fell foul of the censor.

To understand why, it must be remembered that during and for some time after the Second World War, there was food rationing in Britain. The song was composed by George Gee with words by Gee and Harris Weston; it was published by Arcadia Music.

The story behind it is related by Robert V. Kenny in the Summer 2013 issue of The Call Boy, the quarterly journal of the British Music Hall Society. The song was first performed publicly by Arthur Lucan in Babes In The Wood at the Bristol Hippodrome during the 1947-8 season.

Lucan was part of a comedy duo Lucan & McShane, although with the passage of time they don't seem so funny. "Where Is My Sunday Potato?" is said to be a topical comedy hit that was a "huge success" in over fifty pantomimes, and to be "the inevitable food-chorus song".

That may well be, but in December 1947 the BBC objected to it on political grounds. In those days there was no independent radio, so the BBC's word was law. It was though cleared for broadcast the following month. It remains to be seen if it could also have been considered a protest song as suggested. It may be too that a higher power didn't think much of it because Lucan's rendition is said to have come to an abrupt end on February 16, 1948 when the Bristol Hippodrome was devastated by a "mysterious backstage fire" which kept it closed for almost a year.

Moon Mullican - There's A Chill On The Hill Tonight

Moon Mullican - There's A Chill On The Hill Tonight Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: Showboy Special
Released: 1947

There's A Chill On The Hill Tonight Lyrics

There's A Chill On The Hill Tonight

This was written sometime in the 1940s by Nelson Cogane, Sam Mysels and David Robertson (who wrote numerous jazz standards, including "We three").

In 1944, Jimmie Davis and Moon Mullican recorded the song together. Davis' name appears as co-writer, too, but no one is sure if he wrote it or bought it. Davis earned himself a top 10 Country hit with the song.

The definitive version of this song was recorded by Moon Mullican on King records in 1947. Sadly, this has not become a major standard like other songs of the time like "You are my sunshine", "I'll sail my ship alone" or "Walking the floor over you." (thanks, Patrick - Waterford, Ireland, for all above)

Betty Hutton - The Sewing Machine

Betty Hutton - The Sewing Machine Lyrics and Youtube Music Videos

Album: The Perils Of Pauline
Released: 1947

The Sewing Machine Lyrics

The Sewing Machine

Written by Frank Loesser, this is the first song in the 1947 comedy The Perils Of Pauline which is based on the life of actress Pearl White. It is performed by Betty Hutton as the starstruck Pearl in a sweatshop. The theme of the song is that unless she gets out of there, the sewing machine will drive her nuts. Fortunately she does get out of there, pronto. (thanks, Alexander Baron - London, England)