Young and Foolish
Bill Evans Lyrics
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Playing as children play
Racing through a meadow April bright
Dreaming on a hilltop half the night
Now that we're growing older
We have no time to play
Now that we're growing wiser
We are not wise enough to stay
Young and foolish
Why is it wrong to be
Young and foolish
We haven't long to be
Soon enough the carefree days
The sunlit days go by
Soon enough the bluebird has to fly
We were foolish
One day we fell in love
Now we wonder
What were we dreaming of
Smiling in the sunlight
Laughing in the rain
I wish that we were
Young and foolish again
Smiling in the sunlight
Laughing in the rain
I wish that we were
Young and foolish again
The lyrics to Bill Evans's song "Young and Foolish" are about the nostalgia and longing for youthful innocence and carefree days. The opening lines describe the singer's memories of being young and playing without any responsibilities. However, as they've grown older, they no longer have the luxury of being young and foolish, and the pressures of adulthood have replaced their childhood innocence. The singer questions why it's wrong to be young and foolish, acknowledging that they haven't long to be carefree before they're forced to face the realities of adult life.
Later in the song, the singer reflects on falling in love and wonders what they were dreaming of. The final lines, "Smiling in the sunlight, laughing in the rain, I wish that we were young and foolish again," express the longing for the simplicity and joy of youth, free from the complications and responsibilities of adulthood.
Line by Line Meaning
Once we were foolish children
In the past, we were naive and inexperienced like most children
Playing as children play
Engaged in activities typical of children
Racing through a meadow April bright
Running quickly through a sunny meadow in springtime
Dreaming on a hilltop half the night
Spent hours imagining and contemplating on a hilltop during the night
Now that we're growing older
As we age
We have no time to play
We are too busy with responsibilities and obligations to engage in playful activities
Now that we're growing wiser
As we gain more knowledge and experience
We are not wise enough to stay
We are still susceptible to making unwise decisions even with our growing experience
Young and foolish
Being youthful and inexperienced isn't necessarily bad
Why is it wrong to be
What's so bad about it?
We haven't long to be
We only have a short amount of time to be young and inexperienced
Soon enough the carefree days
Eventually, our days of worry-free living will be numbered
The sunlit days go by
Our bright and happy days pass quickly
Soon enough the bluebird has to fly
The precious moments in our lives can pass by just as quickly as the flight of a bird
We were foolish
We acted without careful thought or consideration
One day we fell in love
At some point, we developed romantic feelings for each other
Now we wonder
Presently, we question our relationship
What were we dreaming of
We are unsure what we hoped to achieve or gain from our relationship
Smiling in the sunlight
Being happy in a joyful moment
Laughing in the rain
Feeling lighthearted and joyful during rainy weather
I wish that we were
I desire to be
Young and foolish again
To be young and inexperienced once more
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALBERT HAGUE, ARNOLD B. HORWITT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@belavarga6113
The best and most influential piano player ever. Unbelievable touch and feeling.
@richardmackota5463
I saw Bill play a few weeks before he died at the Keystone Corner in San Francisco. That night Fantasy Records was recording his sets (which you can hear here on Youtube)and asked that we all be a quiet as possible, ha! like he had to ask us. The place became a church when he got on stage. He died way too young, but his music luckily was recorded for future to hear as you said "the best piano player that ever graced the ivories" You hear so much of Claude Debussy in his work. That stately elegance and beauty.
@maggiessong
and yet, Bill could swing like few others....he had it all.
@maggiessong
Hey Willie Evans....I feel you...Bill is a daily necessity that I cannot function without. HE did change my life. The music I listen to and the way I listen to it is completely different than before. He's one of the GENIUSES OF THE 20TH CENTURY. His passion as an artist is hard to find an equal for.........
@tomd3098
One of the most soul-wrenching things I have ever heard. Moves me to tears every time.
Thanks for sharing.
@songplugger1
Tom D I’m glad to know that someone else is also so moved by Bill Evans’s beautifully realized interpretation of this. If I share this classic with anyone, I suggest they listen to the Tony Bennett and Bill Evans duet first, so they can hear the lyrics. It becomes more emotionally powerful, the way Bill makes the melody sing, telling a story.
@ziegunerweiser
hauntingly beautiful the older i get it is music rich in harmony that i seem to like best, when i was young all i cared about was playing loud and fast, a melodic approach - this style is the complete opposite slow, quiet and harmonically robust, so now i say the 4 greatest things to ever happen to music are bach chopin rachmaninoff and bill evans this is my favorite recording of any ballad by any artist my favorite bill evans recording no one ever played a ballad by bill evans no one ever will
@willyevans
Everybody Digs changed my life. After that for me came the Complete Riverside Recordings, the Complete Fantasy Recordings, etc. The touch, the feel, the sound that was Bill Evans is like a drug that I can't live without.
@TomConn48
The best music is what you hear between the notes, and no one shows that better than Bill Evans
@LeumasSmada1
One of my favorite pieces of all time. Always brings me back to a time stuck in my car all alone in the middle of a rain storm.