Fool That I Am
Etta James[ Lyrics
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For falling in love with you.
And a, fool that I am,
For thinking you loved me, too.
You took my heart,
Then played the part of little coquette.
And, all my dreams just disappeared
Fool that I am,
For hoping you'd understand.
And thinking you
Would listen, too,
And, oh, the things I had planned.
But we couldn't see eye to eye
So, darling, darling, darling,
This is goodbye.
But I still care, but I still care,
And oh, fool that I am.
Oh, but I still care,
Fool that I am.
The lyrics to Etta James' song "Fool that I Am" are a classic tale of heartbreak and disappointment in love. The singer acknowledges their own foolishness for falling in love with someone who did not reciprocate their feelings. Despite this painful realization, the singer still cares for this person, demonstrating the complicated and contradictory nature of human emotions.
The first two lines, "Fool that I am, for falling in love with you. And a, fool that I am, for thinking you loved me, too," set the tone for the rest of the song. The singer acknowledges their own mistake in believing in a love that was never really there. The line "You took my heart, then played the part of little coquette" describes the other person's behavior, their playing with the singer's heart and emotions for seemingly no reason.
The line "And, all my dreams just disappeared like the smoke from a cigarette" is particularly powerful, comparing the loss of love and hope to something as fleeting and impermanent as smoke. The overall message of the song is one of bittersweet acceptance, as the singer recognizes the need to move on from a love that was never truly reciprocated, but still holds onto feelings of care and tenderness for the other person.
Line by Line Meaning
Fool that I am,
I am a foolish person.
For falling in love with you.
I fell in love with you, which was a foolish thing to do.
And a, fool that I am,
I am still a foolish person.
For thinking you loved me, too.
I was foolish to think you loved me as well.
You took my heart,
You captured my heart.
Then played the part of little coquette.
You acted like a flirtatious woman.
And, all my dreams just disappeared
All the hopes and dreams I had for us vanished.
Like the smoke from a cigarette.
Like smoke, everything we had was gone.
For hoping you'd understand.
I was foolish for hoping you would understand my feelings.
And thinking you
And assuming you
Would listen, too,
Would listen to what I had to say,
And, oh, the things I had planned.
I had made so many plans and dreams for us.
But we couldn't see eye to eye
We had different opinions and couldn't agree on things.
So, darling, darling, darling,
Despite our love for each other,
This is goodbye.
We have to say goodbye to each other now.
But I still care, but I still care,
Even though we are done,
And oh, fool that I am.
I am still a foolish person.
Oh, but I still care,
I still care about you.
Fool that I am.
I am a foolish person.
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: FLOYD HUNT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
b•
Lyrics:
Fool that I am,
For falling in love with you.
And a, fool that I am,
For thinking you loved me, too.
You took my heart,
Then played the part of little coquette.
And, all my dreams just disappeared
Like the smoke from a cigarette.
Fool that I am,
For hoping you'd understand.
And thinking you
Would listen, too,
And, oh, the things I had planned.
But we couldn't see eye to eye
So, darling, darling, darling,
This is goodbye.
But I still care, but I still care,
And oh, fool that I am.
Oh, but I still care,
Fool that I am.
Herbert de Medeiros
This is one of the saddest and most beautiful songs ever written. You can feel the heartache she feels for loving someone that didn't love her back. You can sense the deception and the cracks she collected inside. This song is a letter from a shredded heart to itself...
June Asiimwe
Wow, you worded that feeling beautifully.
murp h
Excellent analysis of a great song
Song Bird
I totally agree
Ms. Medusa
I’ve never been one to cry at movies or in front of people unless it’s someone I love or family but music is something else and this song will forever speak to me. Forever Etta James. Rest In Peace♥️
murp h
Indeed she was and is a wonderful vocalist
b•
Lyrics:
Fool that I am,
For falling in love with you.
And a, fool that I am,
For thinking you loved me, too.
You took my heart,
Then played the part of little coquette.
And, all my dreams just disappeared
Like the smoke from a cigarette.
Fool that I am,
For hoping you'd understand.
And thinking you
Would listen, too,
And, oh, the things I had planned.
But we couldn't see eye to eye
So, darling, darling, darling,
This is goodbye.
But I still care, but I still care,
And oh, fool that I am.
Oh, but I still care,
Fool that I am.
Jenijo's Art-capades Online Gallery
We have lost the age.. when raw talent.. untouched vocals.. have been in touch with the human spirit... Etta James epitomized the deep recesses of a woman's heart.
lepoetress
This is why and how I fell in love with her as a little girl. LOVED how she sang the stew outta this song and the raw emotion that you hear in her voice ..... priceless!!! LOVE and miss her.
Gabriel Sanz
The best vocalist in history. Etta I love you!