{"id":16511,"date":"2023-04-18T16:59:53","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T14:59:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/?p=16511"},"modified":"2026-05-30T14:02:37","modified_gmt":"2026-05-30T12:02:37","slug":"nature-boy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jazzguitar.be\/blog\/nature-boy\/","title":{"rendered":"Nature Boy"},"content":{"rendered":"

Nature Boy was written in 1947 by Eden Ahbez (born George Alexander Aberle) and became famous after Nat King Cole recorded it in 1948. Cole\u2019s version held the No. 1 spot for eight weeks and sold over a million copies. In this lesson, you\u2019ll learn how to play both the melody and chords of Nature Boy.<\/p>\n

\"Nature<\/p>\n

eden ahbez (who intentionally wrote his name in lowercase) was a member of the “Nature Boys”, a hippie cult based in California. They lived a nomadic life, wore long hair and beards, and mostly ate raw fruits, vegetables, and nuts. When Nature Boy became popular, Ahbez was said to be living under the “L” of the Hollywood sign in Los Angeles.<\/p>\n

The story goes that Ahbez handed the sheet music for Nature Boy to Nat King Cole\u2019s manager backstage at the Lincoln Theater, which eventually led to Cole recording the song and the song becoming a hit.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Later, the tune was the subject of a legal dispute when Yiddish composer Herman Yablokoff claimed its melody was very similar to his 1930s song Shvayg mayn harts<\/em> (“Be Still My Heart<\/em>“). Ahbez denied copying the melody and explained that he had “heard” it in the California mountains. The case was settled out of court for $25,000.<\/p>\n

Recommended listening:<\/strong><\/p>\n