“Nature Boy” (1948) was a surprising hit for Nat King Cole. It was written by eden ahbez (who styled his name in lowercase) as a tribute to his mentor Bill Pester of the “Nature Boys” hippie movement:. Cole’s romantic, introspective recording (with the famous line “the greatest thing you'll ever learn is just to love and be loved in return”) became a #1 Billboard hit: and made Cole a star.