Nature Boy (song)
Encyclopedia
"Nature Boy" is a song by eden ahbez
, published in 1947. The song tells a fantasy of a "strange enchanted boy... who wandered very far" only to learn that "the greatest thing... was just to love and be loved in return". Nat King Cole
's 1948 recording of the song was a major hit and "Nature Boy" has since become a pop and jazz standard
, with dozens of major artists interpreting the song.
's Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Op. 81
(1887). It is unknown if ahbez was familiar with Dvořák's piece, or if he arrived at the same melodic idea independently.
Yiddish theater star/producer Herman Yablokoff, in Memoirs of the Yiddish Stage, claimed that the melody to "Nature Boy" was plagiarized from his song "Shvayg, Mayn Harts" ("Hush, My Heart"), which he wrote for his play Papirosn (1935). ahbez protested his innocence, claiming to have “heard the tune in the mist of the California mountains,” but later agreed to pay Yablokoff $25,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
The song is based on a 1940s Los Angeles-based group called "Nature Boys," a subculture of proto-hippie
s of which ahbez was a member.
, "Nature Boy" follows an "A,B" format, with both sections being melodically and harmonically similar until the final 4-bar phrase of each. The primary melodic theme is a pickup note on the 5 of the minor i chord, then three notes descending on a minor triad above the pickup note. An ascending line over the diminished ii chord returns to the initial minor triad.
The harmonic structure makes frequent use of the standard ii-V-i progression in the key of D minor. The second 4-bar section featured a chromatic descending line based on the lowering of the tonic (Dm, Dmmaj7, Dm7, Dm6). The same descending line then continues through Gm6, Dm, then finally ending with a whole-step down to the G in the chord Em7(b5).
for The Boy with Green Hair
(1948), for which the original version was used.
The writing of "Nature Boy" is the theme of a 2000 Canadian TV film of the same title, directed by Kari Skogland
. In the film, nomadic poet and songwriter eden ahbez
, played by Callum Keith Rennie
, writes a tune for Nat King Cole
in 1947, after falling in love with a woman named Anna Jacobs. Nat records the song and the rest is history.
A recording by Kate Ceberano
featured in the film The Crossing
(1990). The tune and lyrics feature prominently in the film Untamed Heart
(1993), for which the Roger Williams
and Nat King Cole versions are used. Miles Davis
's recording is used in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley
(1999). The song is performed in a jazz
club in the film Angel Eyes
, (2001). A recording by Jon Hassell
(trumpet) with Ronu Majumdar
(flute) is featured on the soundtrack. The French film To Paint or Make Love
(2005) also featured the song.
David Bowie
's version was a theme in the musical film Moulin Rouge!
(2001). The version used in the film was sung by John Leguizamo
, as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
, during the introductory scenes. Some of the film's premise is based on the lyrics, in particular the lines "There was a boy... A very strange, enchanted boy." The lyric "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is (just) to love and be loved in return" is used throughout the film. Massive Attack
's remix of Bowie's version was used in the film's closing credits. Both Bowie's version and Massive Attack's remix appear on the soundtrack.
as catalog number 15210. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on 1 October 1948 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #24. There was also a version named "Serutan Yob" by Yma Sumac
in the 1950s.
Eden Ahbez
eden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...
, published in 1947. The song tells a fantasy of a "strange enchanted boy... who wandered very far" only to learn that "the greatest thing... was just to love and be loved in return". Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
's 1948 recording of the song was a major hit and "Nature Boy" has since become a pop and jazz standard
Jazz standard
Jazz standards are musical compositions which are an important part of the musical repertoire of jazz musicians, in that they are widely known, performed, and recorded by jazz musicians, and widely known by listeners. There is no definitive list of jazz standards, and the list of songs deemed to be...
, with dozens of major artists interpreting the song.
Song origin
The first two measures of the song's melody parallel the melody of the second movement in Antonín DvořákAntonín Dvorák
Antonín Leopold Dvořák was a Czech composer of late Romantic music, who employed the idioms of the folk music of Moravia and his native Bohemia. Dvořák’s own style is sometimes called "romantic-classicist synthesis". His works include symphonic, choral and chamber music, concerti, operas and many...
's Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Op. 81
Piano Quintet No. 2 (Dvorák)
Antonín Dvořák's Piano Quintet No. 2 in A major, Op. 81, B. 155, is a quintet for piano, 2 violins, viola, and cello. It was composed between August 18 and October 8 of 1887, and was premiered in Prague on January 6, 1888...
(1887). It is unknown if ahbez was familiar with Dvořák's piece, or if he arrived at the same melodic idea independently.
Yiddish theater star/producer Herman Yablokoff, in Memoirs of the Yiddish Stage, claimed that the melody to "Nature Boy" was plagiarized from his song "Shvayg, Mayn Harts" ("Hush, My Heart"), which he wrote for his play Papirosn (1935). ahbez protested his innocence, claiming to have “heard the tune in the mist of the California mountains,” but later agreed to pay Yablokoff $25,000 in an out-of-court settlement.
The song is based on a 1940s Los Angeles-based group called "Nature Boys," a subculture of proto-hippie
Hippie
The hippie subculture was originally a youth movement that arose in the United States during the mid-1960s and spread to other countries around the world. The etymology of the term 'hippie' is from hipster, and was initially used to describe beatniks who had moved into San Francisco's...
s of which ahbez was a member.
Song form
Written as a pop balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, "Nature Boy" follows an "A,B" format, with both sections being melodically and harmonically similar until the final 4-bar phrase of each. The primary melodic theme is a pickup note on the 5 of the minor i chord, then three notes descending on a minor triad above the pickup note. An ascending line over the diminished ii chord returns to the initial minor triad.
The harmonic structure makes frequent use of the standard ii-V-i progression in the key of D minor. The second 4-bar section featured a chromatic descending line based on the lowering of the tonic (Dm, Dmmaj7, Dm7, Dm6). The same descending line then continues through Gm6, Dm, then finally ending with a whole-step down to the G in the chord Em7(b5).
Film usage
The song was a primary theme of the film scoreFilm score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film, forming part of the film's soundtrack, which also usually includes dialogue and sound effects...
for The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair
The Boy with Green Hair is a 1948 American comedy-drama film directed by Joseph Losey. It stars Dean Stockwell as Peter, a young war orphan who is subject to ridicule after he awakens one morning to find his hair mysteriously turned green...
(1948), for which the original version was used.
The writing of "Nature Boy" is the theme of a 2000 Canadian TV film of the same title, directed by Kari Skogland
Kari Skogland
Kari Skogland is a Canadian film director, screenwriter, and producer.-Career:Skogland started directing award-winning television commercials and music videos. She moved on to television shows with 1996's Traders...
. In the film, nomadic poet and songwriter eden ahbez
Eden Ahbez
eden ahbez was an American songwriter and recording artist of the 1940s-1960s, whose lifestyle in California was influential on the hippie movement...
, played by Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie
Callum Keith Rennie is a British-born Canadian television and film actor. He started his career in Canadian film and television projects, where his portrayal of Stanley Raymond Kowalski in the TV series Due South was his first international success...
, writes a tune for Nat King Cole
Nat King Cole
Nathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
in 1947, after falling in love with a woman named Anna Jacobs. Nat records the song and the rest is history.
A recording by Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano
Kate Ceberano is an Australian singer. She achieved success in the soul, jazz and pop genres as well as in her brief forays into musicals with Jesus Christ Superstar and film...
featured in the film The Crossing
The Crossing (1990 film)
The Crossing is a 1990 Australian drama film directed by George Ogilvie and starring Russell Crowe, Robert Mammone and Danielle Spencer, which was filmed in the towns of Junee and Condobolin in New South Wales.-Box office:...
(1990). The tune and lyrics feature prominently in the film Untamed Heart
Untamed Heart
Untamed Heart is a 1993 film starring Christian Slater and Marisa Tomei. It mixes drama with romance and comedy and tells the story of a young woman, always unlucky in love, finally finding true love in a very shy young man. The film is directed by Tony Bill, and written by Tom Sierchio...
(1993), for which the Roger Williams
Roger Williams
-People:* Roger Williams , Welsh soldier of fortune* Roger Williams , English theologian, co-founder of Rhode Island* Roger Williams , US actor...
and Nat King Cole versions are used. Miles Davis
Miles Davis
Miles Dewey Davis III was an American jazz musician, trumpeter, bandleader, and composer. Widely considered one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century, Miles Davis was, with his musical groups, at the forefront of several major developments in jazz music, including bebop, cool jazz,...
's recording is used in the film The Talented Mr. Ripley
The Talented Mr. Ripley (film)
The Talented Mr. Ripley is a 1999 American psychological thriller written for the screen and directed by Anthony Minghella. It is an adaptation of the Patricia Highsmith 1955 novel of the same name, which was previously filmed as Plein Soleil .The film stars Matt Damon as Tom Ripley, Gwyneth...
(1999). The song is performed in a jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
club in the film Angel Eyes
Angel Eyes (film)
Angel Eyes is a 2001 romantic drama film directed by Luis Mandoki. The original music score was composed by Marco Beltrami and features Jennifer Lopez, James Caviezel, Jeremy Sisto, and Terrence Howard. Lopez's performance in the film earned her a Razzie Award nomination for Worst Actress.-Plot:The...
, (2001). A recording by Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell
Jon Hassell is an American trumpet player and composer. He is known for his influence in the world music scene and his unusual electronic manipulation of the trumpet sound.-Life and career:...
(trumpet) with Ronu Majumdar
Ronu Majumdar
Ronu Majumdar is a noted Indian flautist in the Hindustani Classical Music tradition.-Early life and training:Born in Varanasi on June 22, 1963, Ranendranath Majumdar, popularly known as Ronu was trained under his father, Dr. Bhanu Majumdar, and later learned vocal music with the late Pt. Laxman...
(flute) is featured on the soundtrack. The French film To Paint or Make Love
To Paint or Make Love
To Paint or Make Love is a 2005 film directed by Arnaud Larrieu and Jean-Marie Larrieu.The story is about a middle-aged couple, Madeleine and William who enjoy a comfortable, smooth life. They decide to buy a house in a scenic but isolated rural setting and this changes their lives forever...
(2005) also featured the song.
David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
's version was a theme in the musical film Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge!
Moulin Rouge! is a 2001 romantic jukebox musical film directed, produced, and co-written by Baz Luhrmann. Following the Red Curtain Cinema principles, the film is based on the Orphean myth, La Traviata, and La Bohème...
(2001). The version used in the film was sung by John Leguizamo
John Leguizamo
Jonathan Alberto "John" Leguizamo is an Colombian-American actor, producer, voice artist, and comedian.-Early life:...
, as Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec
Henri Marie Raymond de Toulouse-Lautrec-Monfa or simply Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec was a French painter, printmaker, draughtsman, and illustrator, whose immersion in the colourful and theatrical life of fin de siècle Paris yielded an œuvre of exciting, elegant and provocative images of the modern...
, during the introductory scenes. Some of the film's premise is based on the lyrics, in particular the lines "There was a boy... A very strange, enchanted boy." The lyric "The greatest thing you'll ever learn is (just) to love and be loved in return" is used throughout the film. Massive Attack
Massive Attack
Massive Attack are an English DJ and trip hop duo from Bristol, England consisting of Robert "3D" Del Naja and Grant "Daddy G" Marshall. Working with co-producers, as well as various session musicians and guest vocalists, they make records and tour live. The duo are considered to be of the trip...
's remix of Bowie's version was used in the film's closing credits. Both Bowie's version and Massive Attack's remix appear on the soundtrack.
Popular song
- The most successful version was recorded by Nat King ColeNat King ColeNathaniel Adams Coles , known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. Although an accomplished pianist, he owes most of his popular musical fame to his soft baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres...
, which was released by Capitol RecordsCapitol RecordsCapitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog numberCatalog numbering systems for single recordsThis article presents the numbering systems used by various record companies for single records.- Capitol :...
15054. The record first reached the Billboard charts on 16 April 1948 and stayed for 15 weeks, peaking at #1. Cole later re-recorded the song for his 1961 album The Nat King Cole StoryThe Nat King Cole StoryThe Nat King Cole Story is a 1961 album by Nat King Cole. The album was a retrospective of Cole's recording career, designed to present many of his earlier hits in new recordings featuring stereo sound...
.
- The Dick HaymesDick HaymesRichard Benjamin "Dick" Haymes was an Argentine actor and one of the most popular male vocalists of the 1940s and early 1950s. He was the older brother of Bob Haymes, who was an actor, television host, and songwriter....
recording was released by Decca RecordsDecca RecordsDecca Records began as a British record label established in 1929 by Edward Lewis. Its U.S. label was established in late 1934; however, owing to World War II, the link with the British company was broken for several decades....
as catalog number 24439. The record first appeared on the Billboard charts on June 4, 1948 and lasted 4 weeks, peaking at #16.
- The Frank SinatraFrank SinatraFrancis Albert "Frank" Sinatra was an American singer and actor.Beginning his musical career in the swing era with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, Sinatra became an unprecedentedly successful solo artist in the early to mid-1940s, after being signed to Columbia Records in 1943. Being the idol of the...
recording was released by Columbia RecordsColumbia RecordsColumbia Records is an American record label, owned by Japan's Sony Music Entertainment, operating under the Columbia Music Group with Aware Records. It was founded in 1888, evolving from an earlier enterprise, the American Graphophone Company — successor to the Volta Graphophone Company...
as catalog number 38210. It first reached the Billboard charts on May 28, 1948 and lasted 4 weeks, peaking at #18.
- Bobby DarinBobby DarinBobby Darin , born Walden Robert Cassotto, was an American singer, actor and musician.Darin performed in a range of music genres, including pop, rock, jazz, folk and country...
's version entered the US Cash Box chart on June 10, 1961, peaking at #31 on July 15, 1961. The song also entered the UK singles chart on July 6, 1961, peaking at #24 during a 7-week chart run.
- CherCherCher is an American recording artist, television personality, actress, director, record producer and philanthropist. Referred to as the Goddess of Pop, she has won an Academy Award, a Grammy Award, an Emmy Award, three Golden Globes and a Cannes Film Festival Award among others for her work in...
recorded a version as a tribute to her late former husband, Sonny BonoSonny BonoSalvatore Phillip "Sonny" Bono was an American recording artist, record producer, actor, and politician whose career spanned over three decades.-Early life:...
.
- Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr.Grover Washington, Jr. was an American jazz-funk / soul-jazz saxophonist. Along with George Benson, John Klemmer, David Sanborn, Bob James, Chuck Mangione, Herb Alpert, and Spyro Gyra, he is considered by many to be one of the founders of the smooth jazz genre.He wrote some of his material and...
recorded a version on his 1994 album All My Tomorrows.
- Celine DionCeline DionCéline Marie Claudette Dion, , , is a Canadian singer. Born to a large family from Charlemagne, Quebec, Dion emerged as a teen star in the French-speaking world after her manager and future husband René Angélil mortgaged his home to finance her first record...
performed the song as part of her A New Day...A New Day...A New Day... was a Las Vegas residency show performed by Céline Dion at the 4000-seat Colosseum at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas. It was created and directed by Franco Dragone and premiered on March 25, 2003...
concert at Caesars PalaceCaesars PalaceCaesars Palace is a luxury hotel and casino located on the Las Vegas Strip in Paradise, Nevada, an unincorporated township in Clark County, Nevada, United States in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. Caesars Palace is owned and operated by Caesars Entertainment Corp....
. The song appeared on her 2002 album A New Day Has ComeA New Day Has ComeA New Day Has Come is Celine Dion's 18th studio album which marked her return after two-year hiatus to have a child. It was released on March 22, 2002. A New Day Has Come is Dion's 9th English album and 29th in total...
and on her 2004 live album A New Day... Live in Las VegasA New Day... Live in Las VegasA New Day... Live in Las Vegas is Céline Dion's first English live album, released on June 14, 2004. It's her 11th English longplay and 32nd in total.-Album information:A New Day.....
.
- Abbey LincolnAbbey LincolnAnna Marie Wooldridge , better known by her stage name Abbey Lincoln, was a jazz vocalist, songwriter, and actress. Lincoln was unusual in that she wrote and performed her own compositions, expanding the expectations of jazz audiences.-Biography:Born in Chicago, Illinois, she was one of many...
recorded a version on her jazz album A Turtle's Dream.
Other versions
A parody named "Serutan Yob" was recorded by Red Ingle and his Natural Seven. It was released by Capitol RecordsCapitol Records
Capitol Records is a major United States based record label, formerly located in Los Angeles, but operating in New York City as part of Capitol Music Group. Its former headquarters building, the Capitol Tower, is a major landmark near the corner of Hollywood and Vine...
as catalog number 15210. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on 1 October 1948 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #24. There was also a version named "Serutan Yob" by Yma Sumac
Yma Súmac
Yma Sumac was a noted Peruvian soprano. In the 1950s, she was one of the most famous proponents of exotica music. She became an international success based on her extreme vocal range, which was said to be "well over four octaves" and was sometimes claimed to span even five octaves at her peak.Yma...
in the 1950s.