Nat King Cole - Autumn Leaves (Capitol Records 1955)

"Autumn Leaves" is a popular song and jazz standard composed by Joseph Kosma with lyrics by Jacques Prévert.

Kosma was a native of Hungary who was introduced to Prevert in Paris. They collaborated on the song "Les Feuilles mortes" ("The Dead Leaves") for the 1946 film Les portes de la nuit where it was sung by Irène Joachim. Kosma was influenced by a piece of ballet music, "Rendez-vous" written for Roland Petit, which was itself borrowed partially from "Poème d'octobre" by Jules Massenet. Johnny Mercer wrote English lyrics and gave it the title "Autumn Leaves". Paul McCartney controls the publishing rights through his company MPL Communications.

Nathaniel Adams Coles (March 17, 1919 -- February 15, 1965), known professionally as Nat King Cole, was an American singer and musician who first came to prominence as a leading jazz pianist. He was widely noted for his soft, baritone voice, which he used to perform in big band and jazz genres. Cole was one of the first African Americans to host a television variety show, The Nat King Cole Show, and has maintained worldwide popularity since his death from lung cancer in February 1965.

The falling leaves drift by the window
The autumn leaves of red and gold
I see your lips, the summer kisses
The sun-burned hands I used to hold

Since you went away the days grow long
And soon I'll hear old winter's song
But I miss you most of all my darling
When autumn leaves start to fall

C'est une chanson, qui nous ressemble
Toi tu m'aimais et je t'aimais
Nous vivions tous deux ensemble
Toi qui m'aimais moi qui t'aimais
Mais la vie separe ceux qui s'aiment
Tout doucement sans faire de bruit
Et la mer efface sur le sable les pas des amants desunis

[jeffreybarker]

Love Nat King Cole and his music. He had a one of a kind voice, his singing was smooth and relaxing. I've always loved listening to him.

[helgaseiser]

I have seen him in the Late fifties in Vienna. I was just a Young Girl in love with my later husband. Now, I‘m 83 and still remember These wonderful evening💔💖💝

[susanneludwig]

Wonderful singer & song!
I also love the violins…

[cindyjones]

Beautiful song done by a wonderful singer

[cindyduran]

He was definitely a classy man. Can't believe theres no comments.

[loesschouten]

Great man nice songs. This is a song for thogheter with the one you love warm at home.

[paljoeynyc]

Michael Goldsen, who was in charge of Capitol’s music publishing department, fell in love with this song and, in 1950, asked the great Johnny Mercer to write the English lyric
(“The falling leaves drift by the window...”). Mercer agreed — and soon forgot about it. Goldsen recalls:

I waited a couple of months. Finally it had, like, three weeks to go, and no lyric. I said, ‘Hey, John, I’ve only got three weeks to go and I lose the song.’ He said, ‘I’m going to New York on Friday. I’ll write it on the train and send it to you from New York. You’ll have it within a week. Pick me up and take me to the train station.’ They lived on De Longpre. I was delayed. I was fifteen minutes late, but we had time. I saw Johnny on the porch, and he’s nailing something to the door. I said, ‘Hey, John, I’m sorry I’m late, but we’ve got plenty of time.’ He said, ‘I thought maybe you had an emergency. While I was waiting, I wrote the lyrics.’

We got into the car and he read me the lyric. Tear came to my eyes. Everybody I played that song for flipped out.
Mercer later told Michael Goldsen that he made more money from “Autumn Leaves” than from any other song that he wrote. The sheet music (published by Ardmore Music, New York, N.Y. in 1950) and record sales kept “Autumn Leaves” in the first place slot of the television show Your Hit Parade for sixteen weeks in 1955.