Born in Paris but traveled widely as a child. With her father transferring first to Mexico and later around the world, she grew in touch with Bossa Nova and other local flavors of music.Returned to France and started Piano lessons at age 10 and Jazz school at age 12. Started her professional career in 1987 by sending a demo tape to Jazz greats Johnny Griffin and Ben Sidran, and was subsequently given an opportunity to record several songs with them.
In 1988 released her first single, "Absolument Jazz" with CBS France. Signed a contract with Sony Music Entertainment Japan in 1990, and released many singles and albums. From 2003 to 2005 switched to the Epic Records Japan label, and from 2005 to 2008 to Toshiba EMI. Returned to Sony Music Entertainment in 2008.
These Foolish Things
Clémentine Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Oh! Will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us
Are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fair ground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came you saw you conquer'd me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
First daffodils and long excited cables
And candle lights on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is Spring's
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The song that Crosby sings
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
The lyrics to Clémentine's song "These Foolish Things" reflect the lingering nostalgia and longing for a past love. The singer expresses a sense of entrapment, as they question whether they will ever be set free from the ties that still bind them to their former lover. Despite this, there are small reminders of their love that continue to bring both happiness and pain.
These reminders take various forms, such as a cigarette bearing traces of the lover's lipstick, an airline ticket to romantic places, a tinkling piano in a neighboring apartment, stumbling words that conveyed the depth of their heart's feelings, and the painted swings of a fairground. All these little things serve as potent triggers for the longing and memories associated with the lost love. The singer also mentions specific experiences that evoke the presence of their former lover, like the winds of March making their heart dance, a ringing telephone left unanswered, and the haunting ghost of their presence.
The lyrics go on to mention other evocative images, such as daffodils, long cables, candlelit tables, an evening park, the "Ile de France" with its surrounding gulls, the beauty of Spring, midnight trains in empty stations, silk stockings, and dance invitations tossed aside. These images represent the moments and elements that serve as powerful reminders of the relationship and keep the memory of the loved one alive.
In essence, "These Foolish Things" is a song about the bittersweet emotions that linger after a love has ended. The lyrics convey a mix of pain and happiness, capturing the profound impact that memories and associations can have on our hearts and minds.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Oh! Will you never allow me to have my own freedom and independence?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
Oh! Will you never release me from the grasp of our connection?
The ties that bound us
The emotional bonds that connected us
Are still around us
Continue to exist and affect us
There's no escape that I can see
I cannot find a way to break free from our past
And still those little things remain
And yet, the small details of our time together persist
That bring me happiness or pain
That evoke both joy and sorrow in me
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A cigarette with remnants of your lipstick
An airline ticket to romantic places
A ticket to destinations filled with romance
And still my heart has wings
And yet, my heart feels light and alive
These foolish things remind me of you
These trivial objects and memories bring you to my mind
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
The sound of a piano playing softly in the nearby apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
The clumsy words I spoke to express my true feelings
A fair ground's painted swings
The swings in a colorful amusement park
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You entered my life, observed, and effortlessly won my heart
When you did that to me
When you captivated me in such a way
I knew somehow this had to be
I instinctively felt that our connection was fated
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The brisk March winds that fill me with a sense of joy
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
A ringing phone with no one to pick up on the other end
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
Oh, the lingering presence of your memory
These foolish things remind me of you
These insignificant things evoke thoughts of you
First daffodils and long excited cables
The initial appearance of daffodils and lengthy, enthusiastic messages
And candle lights on little corner tables
The soft glow of candles on small tables in corners
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The park in the evening, signaled by the ringing of a bell
The 'Ile de France' with all the gulls around it
The 'Ile de France' ship surrounded by seagulls
The beauty that is Spring's
The enchanting beauty of the season of Spring
How strange how sweet to find you still
It is both strange and wonderful to realize that you still occupy my thoughts
These things are dear to me
These objects and experiences hold great significance for me
They seem to bring you near to me
They create a sense of your presence being close to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of trains passing by in deserted stations at midnight
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Discarded silk stockings symbolizing invitations to dance
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
Garbo's captivating smile and the fragrance of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The waiters' cheerful whistling as the final bar shuts down
The song that Crosby sings
The melodies performed by Crosby
The scent of smouldering leaves, the wail of steamers
The aroma of burning leaves and the mournful sound of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Two individuals in love strolling along the street with a dreamlike aura
Gardenia perfume lingering on a pillow
The lingering fragrance of gardenia perfume on a pillow
Wild strawberries only seven francs a kilo
Wild strawberries priced at just seven francs per kilo
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
Garbo's captivating smile and the fragrance of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The waiters' cheerful whistling as the final bar shuts down
The song that Crosby sings
The melodies performed by Crosby
How strange how sweet to find you still
It is both strange and wonderful to realize that you still occupy my thoughts
These things are dear to me
These objects and experiences hold great significance for me
They seem to bring you near to me
They create a sense of your presence being close to me
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The smell of burning leaves and the mournful sound of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Two individuals in love strolling along the street with a dreamlike aura
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
Oh, the lingering presence of your memory
These foolish things remind me of you
These insignificant things evoke thoughts of you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind