William Randall "Bill" Henderson (March 19, 1926 – April 3, 2016) was an Am… Read Full Bio ↴William Randall "Bill" Henderson (March 19, 1926 – April 3, 2016) was an American jazz singer and actor in television and film.

Henderson was born in Chicago, Illinois. Henderson began his professional music career in 1952, performing in Chicago with Ramsey Lewis, and began recording as a leader after a move to New York in 1958. He subsequently recorded with jazz pianist Horace Silver on a a vocal version of Silver's "Señor Blues" which was a jukebox hit (in the mid-1950s), and remains one of jazz label Blue Note's top-selling singles. Additionally, Henderson performed and recorded with Oscar Peterson (Bill Henderson with the Oscar Peterson Trio), Jimmy Smith, Count Basie, Yusef Lateef, and Eddie Harris. He was under contract to the Vee Jay label between 1958 and 1961, who recorded his first album as leader, Bill Henderson Sings (1958), which features trumpeter Booker Little among the sidemen.

Beginning in the mid-1970s, he frequently appeared on television in supporting, usually one-time roles. His film roles have followed a similar trend — minor and supporting roles.Henderson also recorded his own vocal tracks as "King Blues" for the comedy film Get Crazy (1983). Henderson made a guest vocal appearance on Charlie Haden's album The Art of the Song (1999).

Young and Foolish
Bill Henderson Lyrics

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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

Overall Meaning

The song "Young and Foolish" by Bill Henderson and Oscar Peterson Trio talks about the beauty and innocence of youth. The lyrics suggest that being young and foolish is not necessarily wrong despite society's condemnation of youthful actions. The phrase "Young and foolish" is repeated throughout the song as the singer reminisces on the carefree days of youth when there was not much to worry about. The song conveys the inevitability of time and how it takes away youthful exuberance and joy.

The lyrics also reflect on how youth frequently falls in love and often regrets it later on in life. The singer wonders what they were dreaming about when they fell in love and how foolish it was. However, the song ends on a positive note, expressing the wish to relive those youthful days and to feel young and foolish again, smiling in the sunlight and laughing in the rain.

Overall, "Young and Foolish" is a reflection on the fleeting nature of youthful exuberance and the inevitability of time taking away that youthful joy. It also reminds the listener to cherish the beauty of youth while it lasts.

Line by Line Meaning

Young and foolish
Being youthful and naive

Why is it wrong to be
What's so bad about being naive?

We haven't long to be
We won't be young and naive forever

Soon enough the carefree days
The days of being without worry will end

The sunlit days go by
The happy times will end

Soon enough the bluebird has to fly
The good things must come to an end

We were foolish
We were naive and didn't know better

One day we fell in love
One day we fell head over heels

Now we wonder
Now we question ourselves

What were we dreaming of
What were we thinking?

Smiling in the sunlight
Happily basking in the sunshine