Born to a working-class family, Ferry studied fine art and taught at a secondary school before pursuing a career in music. In 1970 he began to assemble the rock band Roxy Music with a group of friends and acquaintances in London, and took the role of lead singer and main songwriter. The band achieved immediate international success with the release of their eponymous debut album in 1972, containing a rich multitude of sounds, which reflected Ferry's interest in exploring different genres of music. Their second album, For Your Pleasure (1973), further cultivated the band's unique sound and visual image that would establish Ferry as a leading cultural icon over the next decade.
Ferry began a parallel solo career in 1973 by releasing These Foolish Things, which popularized for the first time the concept of a contemporary musician releasing an album covering standard songs and was a drastic departure from his ongoing work with Roxy Music. His second album, Another Time, Another Place (1974), featured as its cover image Ferry posing by a pool in a white dinner jacket and represented one of his most impactful fashion statements. Over the next two years, Roxy Music released a trilogy of albums, Stranded (1973), Country Life (1974) and Siren (1975), which broadened the band's appeal internationally and saw Ferry take greater interest in the role of a live performer, reinventing himself in stage costumes ranging from gaucho to military uniforms.
Ferry disbanded Roxy Music following the release of their best-selling album Avalon in 1982 to concentrate on his solo career, releasing further singles such as "Slave to Love" and "Don't Stop the Dance" and the UK no. 1 album Boys and Girls in 1985. Including his work with Roxy Music, Ferry has sold over 30 million albums worldwide.
As well as being a prolific songwriter, Ferry has recorded many cover versions, including standards from the Great American Songbook, in albums such as These Foolish Things (1973), Another Time, Another Place (1974), Let's Stick Together (1976), Taxi (1993) and As Time Goes By (1999), as well as Dylanesque (2007), an album of Bob Dylan covers. In 2019, Ferry was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as a member of Roxy Music.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryan_Ferry
Studio albums
These Foolish Things (1973)
Another Time, Another Place (1974)
Let's Stick Together (1976)
In Your Mind (1977)
The Bride Stripped Bare (1978)
Boys and Girls (1985)
Bête Noire (1987)
Taxi (1993)
Mamouna (1994)
As Time Goes By (1999)
Frantic (2002)
Dylanesque (2007)
Olympia (2010)
The Jazz Age (2012)
Avonmore (2014)
Bitter-Sweet (2018)
Fool For Love
Bryan Ferry Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There was a king
A fool for love
And all it brings
So high and wise
Could read your mind
A fool for love
A crowded street
An empty train
A fool for love
You cry in vain
In days gone by
There was a queen
A fool for love
And all it means
Red ruby lips
Don't touch my eyes
A fool for love
And love is blind
Like flowers in the rain
I'm twisted up inside
I'll never be the same
I hear the same old lines
You played me for a fool
You really hurt my pride.
The lyrics to Bryan Ferry's "Fool For Love" describe two individuals, a king and a queen in days gone by, who were both fools for love. Despite their high status, they were not immune to the power and allure of love. The king was able to read minds, yet he was helpless when it came to matters of the heart. The queen had red ruby lips, but she was blinded by love. These descriptions of the king and queen demonstrate that love can make even the most intelligent and powerful individuals act foolish.
The song then shifts to a present-day setting, where the singer is also a fool for love. He is haunted by memories of a past relationship, expressed through the line "I hear the same old lines, You played me for a fool, You really hurt my pride." Despite the pain he has experienced, he is still twisted up inside and unable to move past his feelings. The song ends with the repetition of the line "I'll never be the same," emphasizing the transformative power of love.
Overall, "Fool For Love" is a reflection on the universal experience of being a fool for love, and the ways in which love can both uplift and devastate us.
Line by Line Meaning
In days gone by
In times long past
There was a king
There existed a male monarch
A fool for love
He was easily taken advantage of by love
And all it brings
With its various joys and miseries
So high and wise
Despite his position of authority and intelligence
Could read your mind
He could discern your thoughts
And love is blind
Love is irrational and ignorant of flaws
A crowded street
A street with many people
An empty train
A train devoid of passengers
You cry in vain
Crying is pointless
There was a queen
There existed a female monarch
And all it means
Its significance and impact
Red ruby lips
Lips colored like red rubies
Don't touch my eyes
Do not touch my eyes with your kiss
Like flowers in the rain
Like flowers affected by rain
I'm twisted up inside
I am mentally conflicted
I'll never be the same
I'll never be unchanged
I hear the same old lines
I hear the same cliché sayings
You played me for a fool
You deceived me and made me look foolish
You really hurt my pride
You damaged my sense of self-worth
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: BRYAN FERRY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind