Belden was born in Evanston, Illinois, and raised in South Carolina. In his formative years, Belden studied saxophone with Lou Marini Sr., father of famed jazz saxophonist, Lou Marini (Buddy Rich Big Band, Blood, Sweat and Tears, best known as "Blue Lou" of the Blues Brothers Band). Belden attended the University of North Texas and was a member of the famed One O'Clock Lab Band.
Belden's works as arranger and composer show an extremely wide ranging versatility, often being compared to the works of Gil Evans and Maria Schneider. In 2008 he arranged and produced Miles from India, a world fusion music record, based on the compositions of Miles Davis. In the record he assembled alumni of Davis and musicians of India
Fool On The Hill
Bob Belden Lyrics
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The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
But nobody wants to know him,
They can see that he's just a fool,
And he never gives an answer,
But the fool on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
And the eyes in his head,
Well on his way his head in a cloud,
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
But nobody ever hears him,
Or the sound he appears to make,
And he never seems to notice,
But the fool on the hill
Nobody seems to like him
They can tell what he wants to do.
And he never shows his feelings,
But the fool on the hill
Bob Belden's song Fool on the Hill tells the story of a man on a hill who is misunderstood and ridiculed by the world, but he can see things more clearly than they do. The first verse describes the man's isolation and perceived foolishness, as he sits silently without giving answers to anyone, and the world around him regards him as nothing but a fool. Yet, the man on the hill sees things from a different point of view, he can see the sun setting and the world spinning around him through his inner vision.
The second verse describes the man's voice and his outspoken nature, but despite his loud voice, nobody ever hears him or pays attention to the sounds he makes. The man is unaware of the way people regard him, and he never shows any emotion. People don't know him or relate to him, so they can't like him--they don't understand his desires or aspirations. Despite these challenges, the fool on the hill continues to exist and see the world from a unique perspective.
Overall, "Fool on the Hill" is a song about the perspective of others and how people who are different from the rest are treated. It is about how people who don't fit the mainstream's mold and don't follow the same rules are often ridiculed and misunderstood, despite having unique insights and valuable contributions.
Line by Line Meaning
Day after day alone on the hill,
The man spends every day isolated on the hill
The man with the foolish grin is keeping perfectly still,
The man sits still with a foolish expression on his face
But nobody wants to know him,
No one takes an interest in him
They can see that he's just a fool,
People judge him and think of him as foolish
And he never gives an answer,
He does not respond to others
But the fool on the hill
Despite being considered a fool, the man sits alone on the hill
Sees the sun going down,
He watches the sun set
And the eyes in his head,
His eyes pay attention
See the world spinning around.
He observes the world and its constant movement
Well on his way his head in a cloud,
He's lost in his thoughts
The man of a thousand voices talking perfectly loud
The man speaks loudly with many different voices
But nobody ever hears him,
No one listens to him
Or the sound he appears to make,
Even when he speaks, people do not hear what he says
And he never seems to notice,
He appears not to care about being ignored
But the fool on the hill
Despite being ignored and unheard, the man still sits on the hill
Nobody seems to like him
No one has any fondness for him
They can tell what he wants to do.
People can guess his intentions
And he never shows his feelings,
He keeps his emotions hidden
But the fool on the hill
Despite being judged and disliked, he remains on the hill, unbothered
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: John Lennon, Paul McCartney
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind