Nat King Cole's Nature Boy

Whistle
1

I heard this tune and decided to try an play it.
I’ve set it out for a D whistle fingering, although the version on the radio
was in another key.

D = bottom octave
d= upper octave

Bb fingered (fipple end) xOxxxx
d# half hole on bottom hole

Nature Boy
Nat King Cole

There was a boy
D d Bb G
A very strange enchanted boy
A AC C d# d Bb G
They say he wandered very far, very far
A Bb C df# e g f# df# e
Over land and sea
BbBb A C A
A little shy and sad of eye
D d Bb A D Bb A G
But very wise was he
E GAG F# Bb G

And then one day
D d Bb G
A magic day he passed my way
A AC C d# d Bb G
And while we spoke of many things
A Bb C d f# eg f#
Fools and kings
d f# e
This he said to me
Bb Bb A C A
“The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
D d Bb A D Bb A G
Is just to love and be loved in return”
E E G A G F# Bb Bb AG


"The greatest thing you’ll ever learn
D d Bb A D Bb A G

Is just to love and be loved in return"
E E G A G F# Bb Bb AG


I tried to space the notes under the words, but the board software
keeps justifying the notes to the left margin.

Can anyone improve on it (tune) please?
Any suggestions welcome.

Thanks

ps I found an mp3 of it at
http://www.fringel.com/mp3/N/Nat%20King%20Cole%20-%20Nature%20Boy.mp3
…just in case you (!!!) dont know the tune.

2

ABOUT THAT TUNE…

Thanks for them there notes!!

The song Nature Boy was written by a very colorful person/character known as Moondog. He passed away a few years ago. He was what we might now call a "Street Person, " though I believe he had a domicile. I used to see him often on the streets of Manhattan, carrying his staff, dressed in Quasi-Viking gear. He was a non-threatening guy. I recall being quite surprised when I learned that he wrote that simple but beautiful tune.

There is also a fine version of it, though I would not be able to play whistle to in a million years, on David Grissman’s ‘DogaNova’ CD. The flute on it is one of those real big guys with the curve in it. (Is that a bass flute?) The CD is at my office, and I don’t have any more information than that in front of me.

FYI,

Tom D.

3

I believe this song was used as a recurring theme in the movie Moulin Rouge. It a haunting melody that lingers in my thought for a long time.
Mike

4

There is a wonderful version of this song on an album by Oscar Peterson, Milt Jackson and Ray Brown “The Very Tall Band” where Milt plays the most gorgeous vibe part.

5

Another version on a CD from the now disbanded group “Double Indemnity” - they were regulars at the Sterling Renaissance Festival in New York State for a while. They have partially regrouped under the name “Empty Hats” now.