Nature Boy (song)

From Wikipedia, the free 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".

Contents

[edit] Song origin

The Yiddish songwriter Herman Yablakoff alleged that the melody to "Nature Boy" came from his song "Sveig Mein Härtz" ("Be Still My Heart"). His legal action was ultimately settled out of court.[citation needed]

At any rate, the melody of "Nature Boy" can be clearly heard in multiple passages from Antonín Dvořák's Piano Quintet No. 2 in A, Opus 81 (1887), considered to be one of the greatest pieces of chamber music ever composed.[citation needed]

Either Yablakoff or ahbez or both likely drew their inspiration for the melody from either their experience with the Yiddish theaters in Prague at that time or else from general knowledge of the classics.[citation needed]

The content of the song is based on a 1940s Los Angeles-based group of beatniks called "Nature Boys", of which ahbez himself was part of. They wore long hair and beards, maintaining vegetarian diets and living according to Nature’s Laws.

[edit] Film usage

"Nature Boy" was a primary theme of the score for the 1948 motion picture The Boy with Green Hair. The original version of the song was used for it. The Nat King Cole rendition set the tone for and was used several times in Untamed Heart (1993), which starred Marisa Tomei and Christian Slater.

"Nature Boy" was also featured prominently in Moulin Rouge! as the opening song, as well as a recurring melody throughout the rest of the movie (see below). It was played on the trumpet accompanied by flute in the 2001 film Angel Eyes during a jazz improvisation in a club.

"Nature Boy" features in the French film Peindre ou Faire L'Amour ("To Paint or Make Love"), 2007, starring Daniel Auteuil.

"Nature Boy" was also featured at the end of the second episode of Fox's New Amsterdam, "Golden Boy," 2008.

[edit] Published versions

All versions (vocal and instrumental):

[edit] Popular versions

The most successful version was recorded by Nat King Cole. Cole's recording was released by Capitol Records as catalog number 15054. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on 16 April 1948 and lasted 15 weeks on the chart, notably peaking at #1. [2]

The Dick Haymes recording was released by Decca Records as catalog number 24439. The flip side was "You Can't Be True, Dear." The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on 4 June 1948 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #16. [2]

The Frank Sinatra recording was released by Columbia Records as catalog number 38210. The record first reached the Billboard magazine charts on 28 May 1948 and lasted 4 weeks on the chart, peaking at #18. [2]

Cher recorded a version of "Nature Boy" as a tribute to her late former husband, Sonny Bono.

My Ruin made it a spoken introduction of the album The Brutal Language released in 2005 (street date 27 September 2005) on the 33rd Street Records label, produced by Mick Murphy.

Grover Washington Jr. recorded a version of "Nature Boy", in his distinctive style of jazz, on the album "All My Tomorrows" (1994).

Bruno Pelletier's version of "Nature Boy" can be found in his album "Bruno Pelletier et le GrosZorchestre".

Celine Dion performed the song as part of her "A New Day ..." concert during her run at Caeser's Palace. The song had appeared on her 2002 album "A New Day Has Come" and is included on her 2004 live album "A New Day...Live In Las Vegas".[3]

[edit] Other versions

A parody named Serutan Yob was recorded by Red Ingle and the Natural Seven. It was released by Capitol Records 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. [2]

The 1960s psychedelic rock band Gandalf recorded a version of this tune on their only self-titled album for Capitol in 1969.

There was also a jazz-funk version recorded by George Benson released by Warner Brothers on the album entitled: In Flight (1977). Bobby Darin recorded it on his LP Things and Other Things (1961).

Powderfinger recorded a different song by the same name as a B-side for their single "My Happiness" (2000).

Former singer/actress Vanity performed a version on the TV series Friday the 13th: The Series (late 1980s).

[edit] Moulin Rouge! versions

A version by David Bowie was a major theme in the musical film Moulin Rouge! (2001). The version contained within the film was, however, sung by cast member and actor John Leguizamo as the non-fictional character of Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec during the introductory scenes to the film. Some of the premise for the film was based on the lyrics found within the song, 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 regularly throughout the film, as a general reminder of the importance of love (one of the film's central themes). Massive Attack produced a version for the film's closing credits using the David Bowie vocal. The Massive Attack and David Bowie versions appear on the film's soundtrack, along with other notable covers.

[edit] References

  1. ^ (2002) Album notes for A new day has come by Céline Dion. Epic.
  2. ^ a b c d Whitburn, Joel (1973). Top Pop Records 1940-1955. Record Research. 
  3. ^ see celinedion.com