Nature Boy – How Eden Ahbez gave Nat King Cole, and the entire world, a gift
Focal Point From the web
In late March 1948, the Nat King Cole Trio released their second 78rpm single of the year. Already well known for crossover pop smashes such as (I Love You) for Sentimental Reasons, the trio were taking a flyer on something different for their next release. Initially buried on a B-side, Nature Boy was unlike anything else that they – or anyone else – had recorded. Cole sings the dreamy opening lyrics – “There was a boy / A very strange, enchanted boy” – with warm intimacy; the song ends with an eternal message: “The greatest thing you’ll ever learn / Is just to love and be loved in return.”
