As a pianist, he had a distinctive and influential style (the song title "Splanky" is an onomatopoetic reference to the sound of his playing), equally at home in the barrelhouse and the concert hall. Willie "The Lion" Smith, James P. Johnson, and Fats Waller were among his influences.
As a bandleader, he created an organization (built upon the remains of Bennie Moten's Kansas City Orchestra) that was a favorite both of dancers and of vocalists such as Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and, of course, Billie Holiday. Equally important, it kept many musicians employed through lean years. Many jazz musicians of note built their chops and earned their bread and butter in Basie's organization.
In addition to Basie, the swinging "All American Rhythm Section" of his orchestra included greats such as Walter Page (bass), Jo Jones (drums), and Freddie Green (guitar). It was the greatest, most swinging rhythm sections in the history of jazz. Chief among its vocalists were, first, Jimmy Rushing and, later, Joe Williams. Over the years it boasted sidemen and soloists like Herschel Evans (tenor sax), Lester Young (tenor sax), Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis (tenor sax), Buddy Tate (tenor sax), Illinois Jacquet (tenor sax), Earle Warren (alto sax), Jack Washington (alto & baritone sax), Harry "Sweets" Edison (trumpet), Buck Clayton (trumpet), Thad Jones (trumpet), Snooky Young (trumpet), Benny Morton (trombone), Benny Powell (trombone), and Dicky Wells (trombone).
Basie also collaborated with artists such as Zoot Sims and Oscar Peterson, and recorded with ensembles large and small, including the Count Basie Trio, the Count Basie Sextet, and the Kansas City Seven. Notable arrangers included Eddie Durham (who helped shape the Basie Orchestra's sound) and Neal Hefti.
These Foolish Things
Count Basie Lyrics
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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 of Count Basie's song "These Foolish Things" convey the impression of someone who is trapped in a relationship and unable to move on. The singer is pleading with their lover to let them go, but admits that the ties that once bound them are still firmly in place. The lyrics speak of a nostalgia for the little things that reminded the singer of their relationship, both good and bad. They remember the cigarettes with lipstick, the airline tickets to romantic destinations, and the stumbling words that expressed their love. Even the mundane, such as the sound of tinkling piano or the sight of a fairground's painted swings, brings back memories of the relationship. The singer acknowledges that, despite their efforts to forget, they are still reminded of their past love by these foolish things.
The second half of the song talks about the various things that remind the singer of their past love. The lyrics evoke a sense of romantic longing, as the singer remembers moments such as the park at evening when the bell has sounded, the Ile de France with all the gulls around it, and the scent of smouldering leaves. These minute details that are often overlooked by others are important to the singer because they remind them of someone they loved. The final verse expresses the bittersweet emotion of the singer as they recount that the song and other little things are still dear to them and bring them closer to their past lover.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
I feel trapped and can't escape my feelings for you.
Oh! Will you never set me free?
I can't shake off my love for you and wish I could move on.
The ties that bound us
Our past relationship still affects me emotionally.
Are still around us
The memories and reminders of our past are still present.
There's no escape that I can see
I feel stuck and unable to move on from my feelings for you.
And still those little things remain
Small reminders of you continue to bring me joy or pain.
That bring me happiness or pain
Memories of our past bring both positive and negative emotions.
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
Even a discarded cigarette can remind me of you and our past relationship.
An airline ticket to romantic places
Tickets to destinations we traveled to together evoke memories of our time spent there.
And still my heart has wings
Despite everything, my heart still flutters whenever I think of you.
These foolish things remind me of you
Even the small, insignificant things remind me of our past relationship.
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Hearing the sound of a piano playing reminds me of us and our love for music.
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
I remember the words I struggled to say when I first told you how I felt.
A fair ground's painted swings
Seeing swings at a carnival reminds me of the playful times we shared together.
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You won my heart over effortlessly when we first met.
When you did that to me
I knew I was in love with you from the moment you won my heart over.
I knew somehow this had to be
I felt that we were meant to be together from the start.
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
Spring reminds me of our love and fills me with happiness.
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
I still wait for your call despite knowing it may never come.
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The sound of bells ringing at sunset reminds me of the romantic moments we shared in parks.
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
Seeing seagulls reminds me of our past travels and the moments we shared together.
The beauty that is Spring's
Spring reminds me of the beauty of the world and our love for each other.
How strange how sweet to find you still
I'm surprised at how strong my love for you still is.
These things are dear to me
Memories of our past and the reminders of you are precious to me.
They seem to bring you near to me
Seeing or hearing things that remind me of you make me feel closer to you.
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of trains late at night reminds me of our past travels and the goodbye kisses we shared at stations.
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Even seeing stockings can remind me of our past dancing and moments of intimacy.
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Your scent is still on my pillow and reminds me of our past intimacy and love.
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
Seeing strawberries reminds me of our past travels and the romantic moments we shared together.
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
Even seeing a smile or smelling roses reminds me of you and our past love.
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
Hearing whistling reminds me of our past dates and the romantic atmosphere of bars and cafes.
The song that Crosby sings
The music we enjoyed together always reminds me of our past love and shared experiences.
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Even the sound of leaves and steamers remind me of our past travels and adventures together.
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Seeing other lovers walking together reminds me of our past love and the carefree moments we shared together.
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
I can't escape the memory of you and our past relationship.
These foolish things remind me of you
Even the small, silly things remind me of our past relationship and the love I still feel for you.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind