A member of the National Youth Jazz Orchestra during her youth, Winehouse signed to Simon Fuller's 19 Management in 2002 and soon recorded a number of songs before signing a publishing deal with EMI. She also formed a working relationship with producer Salaam Remi through these record publishers. Winehouse's debut album, Frank, was released in 2003. Many of the album's songs were influenced by jazz and, apart from two covers, were co-written by Winehouse. Frank was a critical success in the UK and was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The song "Stronger Than Me" won her the Ivor Novello Award for Best Contemporary Song from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors.
Winehouse released her follow-up album, Back to Black, in 2006, which went on to become an international success and one of the best-selling albums in UK history. At the 2007 Brit Awards it was nominated for British Album of the Year, and she received the award for British Female Solo Artist. The song "Rehab" won her a second Ivor Novello Award. At the 50th Grammy Awards in 2008, she won five awards, tying the then record for the most wins by a female artist in a single night and becoming the first British woman to win five Grammys, including three of the General Field "Big Four" Grammy Awards: Best New Artist, Record of the Year and Song of the Year (for "Rehab"), as well as Best Pop Vocal Album.
Winehouse was plagued by drug and alcohol addiction. She died of alcohol poisoning on 23 July 2011, at the age of 27. After her death, Back to Black temporarily became the UK's best-selling album of the 21st century. VH1 ranked Winehouse 26th on their list of the 100 Greatest Women in Music.
Fool’s Gold
Amy Winehouse Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
That her man will leave his mark on her hand
He's not all he seems
But she's seen a dress, she has the flowers planned
Now she won't be happy
Till she look down and sees the engagement ring
It's for security
But she will be waiting years for her wedding
[Chorus]
For me it ain't real
It's fools gold
There too many fools sold
Not an excuse oh
For me it ain't real
It's fools gold
I don't hear everything I'm told
He won't change her life
He just chasing tail
And wasting her time
She calls herself his wife
He calls her at 8 says be here by 9
She don't notice how when she gets the ring
It's not a good fit
So next time that they row
She throws it out
It goes to the last girl he hit
[Chorus]
So take the gold you find
And for your own sake
Hold it in your hand
Now make sure you bite down
And watch your tooth don't break on that wedding band
For me it ain't real
It's fools gold
There too many fools sold
Not an excuse oh
For me it ain't real
Yes it's fools gold
In Amy Winehouse's song "Fool's Gold," she portrays a woman who is dreaming of her man proposing to her and giving her an engagement ring. The woman has seen a dress and has even planned out the flowers for her upcoming wedding, but the man is not all he seems. He won't change her life and is just wasting her time by chasing tail. Despite this, the woman longs for the security that comes with an engagement ring and is willing to wait years for her wedding day.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the idea that what the woman desires is not real and is merely fool's gold. It's interesting to note that fools gold is a term used to describe a mineral that is often mistaken for real gold, but upon closer inspection, it is revealed to be worthless. Amy Winehouse uses this term metaphorically to describe the situation the woman finds herself in. Despite knowing that she is chasing something that is not real, she continues to hope for the engagement ring.
The song goes on to suggest that the woman is not the only one being deceived. The man she is waiting on has most likely done this before, and there have been other women before the current one. The woman doesn't realize that the ring she longs for is not even a good fit for her, as it belonged to the last girl the man hit. Overall, the song highlights the fact that people often cling to things that are not real, hoping that they will bring them happiness and security when, in reality, those things are just fool's gold.
Line by Line Meaning
She sits home and dreams
She spends her time imagining
That her man will leave his mark on her hand
She hopes that her lover will propose to her
He's not all he seems
Her partner is not as genuine as she thought
But she's seen a dress, she has the flowers planned
She has planned her wedding despite not being engaged yet
Now she won't be happy
She will not be satisfied until she has a ring on her finger
Till she looks down and sees the engagement ring
She desires the symbol of commitment and security that an engagement ring provides
It's for security
She wants the ring as a guarantee of her partner's loyalty
But she will be waiting years for her wedding
Her desire for the wedding will leave her waiting for years
[Chorus]
Reinforcing that the prospect of the engagement and wedding holds no true value for the artist
He won't change her life
Her partner will not bring any significant change to her life
He just chasing tail
Her partner is preoccupied with pursuing other women
And wasting her time
The artist sees this relationship as a waste of her time
She calls herself his wife
The singer refers to herself as though she is already married
He calls her at 8 says be here by 9
Her partner is controlling and demanding of her time
She don't notice how when she gets the ring
She is blind to the fact that the ring is not a good fit for her
It's not a good fit
The ring doesn't suit her well, symbolizing that the relationship is not right for her
So next time that they row
When they inevitably argue in the future
She throws it out
She will get rid of the ring
It goes to the last girl he hit
The ring ends up with someone else - either a previous girlfriend, or a woman he mistreated
[Chorus]
Reinforcing that the concept of the engagement and wedding holds no true value for the artist
So take the gold you find
Take what you can get from your relationship
And for your own sake
Do it for yourself
Hold it in your hand
Take control of what you can control in the relationship
Now make sure you bite down
Be careful with what you have, don't let others take it away from you
And watch your tooth don't break on that wedding band
Protect what you have and don't sacrifice too much for a relationship
For me it ain't real
The value of the engagement and wedding holds no true value for the singer
Yes it's fools gold
The concept of the engagement and wedding is ultimately an illusion of value
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AMY WINEHOUSE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind