냇 킹 콜은 나다니엘 아담스 콜(Nathaniel Adams Cole)이라는 이름으로 1917년 3월 17일 태어났다. 우리에게는 스탠더드 팝 보컬리스트로 잘 알려져 있지만 한편으로는 유명한 스윙 피아니스트로 얼 하인즈(Earl Hines)의 영향을 받았고 오스카 피터슨(Oscar Peterson)에게 영향을 주었다. 초기에는 피아니스트로서 널리 활동했지만 1949년 이후에는 보컬로서 대단한 성공을 거두었기 때문에 피아니스트로서의 역할은 많이 가려져 있는 편. 노벨 평화상 시상식장에서 노래를 불러 얼굴을 알리기도 한 나탈리 콜은 바로 그의 딸이다. 냇 킹 콜은 흑인이면서도 백인같은 부드러운 미성의 소유자이기도 했다. 시카고에서 자란 그는 12세 때 오르간을 치며 교회에서 노래를 하기 시작했고 '36년 'Eddie Cole's Solid Swingers'와 함께 첫 레코딩을 한 그는 후에 오스카 무어(Oscar Moore,기타), 웨슬리 프린스(Wesley Prince, 베이스)와 함께 트리오를 결성하기도 했고 '40년 레이블을 통해 'Sweet Lorraine'이란 곡을 히트시키기도 했다. 그는 가수로서도 1940년대 중반부터 인기를 얻긴 했지만 1940년대를 통틀어서는 주로 트리오로서 재즈 분야에 관심을 기울였다. '50년대 들어 'Mona Lisa'가 빅 히트를 하면서 대중음악 분야에서도 인기를 얻기 시작했다. '50년대와 '60년대 그의 이미지는 팝 발라드들을 히트시키는 대중 스타였다. 1956년 4월 9일 앨라배마에서 인종 차별주의자들에게 집단 구타를 당하기도 하는 등 고생을 했지만 인기는 여전했다. '65년 2월 15일 그는 47세의 나이에 폐암으로 세상을 떠났다. 사후에 딸인 나탈리 콜은 그가 불렀던 'Unforgettable'을 그와의 듀엣 형식으로 취입, 그래미상을 수상하기도 했다. .... ....
And now the purple dusk of twilight time Steals across the meadows of my heart High up in the sky the little stars climb Always reminding me that we're apart
You wander down the lane and far away Leaving me a song that will not die Love is now the stardust of yesterday The music of the years gone by
Sometimes I wonder why I spend The lonely night dreaming of a song The melody haunts my reverie And I am once again with you When our love was new And each kiss an inspiration But that was long ago Now my consolation Is in the stardust of a song
Beside a garden wall When stars are bright You are in my arms The nightingale tells his fairy tale A paradise where roses bloom Though I dream in vain In my heart it will remain My stardust melody The memory of love's refrain
Answer me, oh, my love Just what sin have I been guilty of? Tell me how I came to lose your love Please answer me, sweetheart
You were mine yesterday I believed that love was here to stay Won't you tell me where I've gone astray? Please answer me, my love
If you're happier without me I'll try not to care But if you still think about me Please listen to my prayer
You must know I've been true Won't you say that we can start anew? In my sorrow now I turn to you Please answer me, my love
instrumental interlude
(If you're happier without me) (I'll try not to care) But if you still think about me Please listen to my prayer
You must know (you must know)I've been true (I've been true) Won't you say that we can start anew? In my sorrow now I turn to you Please answer me, my love
Gee, it's great after bein' out late Walkin' my baby back home Arm in arm over meadow and farm Walkin' my baby back home
We go 'long harmonizing a song Or I'm recitin' a poem Owls go by and they give me the eye Walkin' my baby back home
We stop for a while, she gives me a smile And snuggles her head on my chest We start in to pet and that's when I get Her talcum all over my vest
After I kinda straighten my tie She has to borrow my comb Once kiss then I continue again Walkin' my baby back home
instrumental interlude
She's 'fraid of the dark so I have to park Outside of her door till it's light She says if I try to kiss her she'll cry I dry her tears all through the night
Hand in hand to a barbecue stand Right from her doorway we roam Eats and then it's a pleasure again Walkin' my baby Talkin' my baby Lovin' my baby I don't mean maybe Walkin' my baby back home
A cigarette that bears a lipsticks traces, An airline ticket to romantic places, And still my heart has wings... These foolish things remind me of you. A tinkling piano in the next apartment, Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant, A fairgrounds painted swings... These foolish things remind me of you. You came, you saw, You conquered me. When you did that to me, I knew somehow this had to be. The winds of march that made my heart a dancer, A telephone that rings, And whos to answer? Oh, how the ghost of you clings... These foolish things remind me of you. The first daffodil and long excited cables, And candle lights on little corner tables, And still my heart has wings... These foolish things remind me of you. The park at evening when the bell has sounded, The ile-de-france with all the gulls around it, The beauty that is springs... These foolish things remind me of you. How strange, how sweet To find you still, These things are dear to me, They seem to bring you near to me. The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations, Silk stockings tossed aside, dance invitations. Oh, how the ghost of you clings! These foolish things remind me of you... These foolish things remind me of you.
There goes my heart, there goes the one I love There goes the girl I wasn't worthy of There goes my happiness, it couldn't be There goes somebody else in place of me
Goodbye romance, it couldn't last somehow I had my chance but it's all over now I never thought that she could pass me by There goes my heart and here am I
instrumental interlude
I never thought that she could pass me by There goes my heart and here am I
That certain night, the night we met, There was magic abroad in the air. There were angels dining at the Ritz, And a nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
I may be right, I may be wrong, But I'm perfectly willing to swear That when you turned and smiled at me, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
The moon that lingered over Londontown Poor puzzled moon, he wore a frown. How could he know that we two were so in love? The whole darn world seemed upside down.
The streets of town were paved with stars, It was such a romantic affair. And as we kissed and said goodnight, A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
~interlude~
When dawn came stealing up, all gold and blue To interrupt our rendez-vous, I still remember how you smiled and said, "Was that a dream? Or was it true?"
Our homeward step was just as light As the dancing of Fred Astaire, And like an echo far away A nightingale sang in Berkeley Square.
A blossom fell from off a tree It settled softly on the lips you turned to me The gypsies say and I know why "A falling blossom only touches lips that lie"
A blossom fell and very soon I saw you kissing someone new beneath the moon I thought you loved me, you said you loved me We planned together to dream forever The dream has ended, for true love died The night a blossom fell and touched two lips that lied
instrumental interlude
A blossom fell and very soon I saw you kissing someone new beneath the moon I thought you loved me, you said you loved me We planned together to dream forever The dream has ended, for true love died The night a blossom fell and touched two lips that lied
More Than the simple words I've tried to say, I'll only live to love you More each day.
More than you'll ever know, My arms long to hold you so. My life will be in your keepin', Wakin'... sleepin'... laughin'...weepin'.
Longer Than always is a long, long time, But far beyond forever, You'll be mine. I know I've never lived before, And my heart is very sure No one else could love you more.
I know I've never lived before, And my heart is very sure No one else could love you more.
You're my everything underneath the sun You're my everything rolled up into one You're my only dream, my only real reality You're my idea of a perfect personality
You're my everything, everything I need You're the song I sing and the book I read You're a way beyond belief and just to make it brief You're my winter, summer, spring, my everything
You're my everything (everything I need) You're the song I sing and the book I read You're a way beyond belief and just to make it brief You're my winter, summer, spring, my everything
*Put your sweet lips a little closer to the phone Let's pretend that we're together all alone I'll tell the man to turn the juke box way down low And you can tell your friend that with you he will have to go
Whisper to me tell me do you love me true Or is he holding you in the way I do Though love is blind make up your mind I've go to know Should I hang up or will you tell him he'll have to go
You can say the words I want to hear While you're with another man If you want me answer yes or no darling I will understand
.... 
