Little Niles (Hendricks)

'Little Niles' is a 1956 jazz standard written by pianist Randy Weston in waltz time. It was first recorded by his trio with Cecil Payne in 1956 for his album 'With These Hands...'.

Lyrics were added later by Jon HENDRICKS:

Little Niles, every little boy in one, and so much fun
Little Niles, half a man and half a child and when he smiles
Like all children everywhere, he's living truth,
For truth is part of youth, and when you feel contentment
Surround you, you know he’s around you

Little Niles, warms your heart and cheers your day in every way
Little Niles, he’s forever on the go and never slow
When you hold him close to you, you realize there’s heaven in his eyes
You can’t imagine your life without him, you’re so wild about him

There are days when his mischievous ways
Make you shout and wear your patience out
Still, you know you’ll stand his every whim
Just because you see yourself in him

Little Niles, walkin ’round and actin’ tall altho’ he’s small
Little Niles, helpless in his childhood woes and infant trials
When the play of day is done you hold him tight to warm him through the night
And silently you wish time would slow up, so he’d never grow up


Recordings exist by Abbey Lincoln (1958), Lambert-Hendricks-Ross, Mark Murphy, Soesja Citroen, Mette Rongved w/ Janne Persson, Madeleine Thériault w/ Wray Dones, etc.