In 1958, Ben Nelson joined a doo wop group, The Five Crowns. Later that same year, The Drifters' manager fired the members of the group and replaced them with The Five Crowns, who had performed several engagements with The Drifters. He co-wrote the first hit by the new version of The Drifters, "There Goes My Baby" (1959). He also sang lead, using his birth name, on "Save the Last Dance for Me," a song written by Doc Pomus and Mort Shuman, "Dance With Me," "This Magic Moment," "I Count the Tears," and other The Drifters hits.
In 1960 he left the group after failing to gain a salary increase and a fairer share of the group's royalties. At this point he assumed the more memorable stage name Ben E. King in preparation for a solo career. Remaining on Atlantic, King scored his first solo hit with the stylish, Latin-tinged ballad "Spanish Harlem" (1961). "Stand by Me" was his next recording. "Stand by Me", written by King along with Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller was voted one of the Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America. "Stand by Me" and "Spanish Harlem" were named as two of The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame's 500 Songs that Shaped Rock and Roll and were both also given a Grammy Hall of Fame Award.
King's records continued to place well on the pop charts until 1963, when British pop bands began to dominate the popular music scene. His hits after 1963 were "What is Soul?" (1967), "Supernatural Thing, part 1" (1975), and the re-issue in 1986 of "Stand by Me" following the song's use as the theme music to the movie of the same name.
Everybody Plays The Fool
Ben E. King Lyrics
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You sit around mopin′
Cryin' and cryin′
You say you're even thinkin' about dyin′
Well, before you do anything rash, dig this
Everybody plays the fool sometime
There′s no exception to the rule
I ain't lyin′, everybody plays the fool
Falling in love is such an easy thing to do
And there's no guarantee that the one you love
Is gonna love you
Oh-oh-oh, lovin′ eyes they cannot see
A certain person could never be
Love runs deeper than any ocean
You can cloud your mind with emotion
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
There's no exception to the rule
Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel
I want to tell ya that
Everybody plays the fool
How can you help it when the music starts to play
And your ability to reason is swept away
Oh-oh-oh, heaven on earth is all you see
You′re out of touch with reality
And now you cry but when you do
Next time around someone cries for you
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
They use your heart like a tool
Listen, baby, they never tell you so in school
I want to say it again
Everybody plays the fool
Listen to me, baby
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
(No exception) no exception to the rule
It may be factual, may be cruel, sometime
But everybody plays the fool
Listen, listen, baby
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
They use your heart like a tool
The lyrics to Ben E. King's song "Everybody Plays The Fool" addresses the feelings of heartbreak and sadness that arise when one's love goes unreciprocated. The song's verses outline the pain and despair that come with being in love with someone, lamenting the fact that even though falling in love is an easy thing to do, there's never a guarantee that the person you love will love you back. The lyrics emphasize the universality of the experience of heartbreak, with King reassuring his listeners that everybody plays the fool at some point in their lives. Even though it can be a cruel and painful rule, it's a fact of life that one has to accept.
In the chorus, King further reinforces this idea of universality by stating that "there's no exception to the rule" and that "everybody plays the fool". He points out that when we fall in love, the music starts to play and our ability to reason is swept away, leading us to believe in love's idealism and to engage in foolish behavior. However, King implores his listener not to give up, instead advising them to take comfort in the fact that everyone experiences heartbreak at some point, and that it's possible to find love again in the future.
Line by Line Meaning
Okay, so your heart is broken
I understand that your heart has been shattered
You sit around mopin'
You spend your days feeling sorry for yourself
Cryin' and cryin'
You can't stop crying
You say you're even thinkin' about dyin'
You're so devastated that you've even considered suicide
Well, before you do anything rash, dig this
Before you do anything drastic, listen to what I have to say
Everybody plays the fool sometime
Everyone makes mistakes in matters of the heart at some point
There's no exception to the rule
This is a universal truth that applies to everyone
Listen, baby, it may be factual, may be cruel
I want to tell you the truth, even if it hurts
I ain't lyin', everybody plays the fool
I'm not lying, it's a fact of life
Falling in love is such an easy thing to do
It's easy to fall in love
And there's no guarantee that the one you love
There's no assurance that the person you love will love you back
Is gonna love you
They may not reciprocate your feelings
Oh-oh-oh, lovin' eyes they cannot see
When you're in love, you may be blind to the person's flaws
A certain person could never be
The person you love may never love you back
Love runs deeper than any ocean
Love is a powerful force
You can cloud your mind with emotion
Emotions can make you lose sight of reality
They use your heart like a tool
People may take advantage of your emotions and use you
Everybody plays the fool, sometime
Everyone makes mistakes in matters of the heart at some point
Listen, baby, they never tell you so in school
No one teaches you about heartbreak in school
How can you help it when the music starts to play
It's hard to resist falling in love when you're swept away by the moment
And your ability to reason is swept away
You can't think clearly when you're in love
Oh-oh-oh, heaven on earth is all you see
When you're in love, everything feels perfect
You're out of touch with reality
You're not thinking clearly
And now you cry but when you do
When you experience heartbreak, you cry
Next time around someone cries for you
Someone else may fall in love with you, and you may be the one to break their heart
They use your heart like a tool
People may take advantage of your emotions and use you
I want to say it again
I want to emphasize my point
Everybody plays the fool
Everyone makes mistakes in matters of the heart at some point
Listen to me, baby
Pay attention to what I'm saying
(No exception) no exception to the rule
This applies to everyone
It may be factual, may be cruel, sometime
The truth can hurt
Writer(s): K. Williams, R. Clark, J.r. Bailey
Contributed by Julian V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.