Their intensely passionate and wildly stormy relationship has been well documented; it was one of the most dramatic and heavily reported Hollywood affairs in the early 1950s. At the time, the two were rage of every gossip rag. Sinatra and Gardner began their affair in the fall of 1949 while Sinatra was still married to his first wife (the mother of Nancy, Frank Jr. and Tina).
Granted a divorce, Sinatra quickly married Gardner in November '51. But their fervent and volatile love was simply too hot and all-consuming and they separated in October '53. After a series of many failed reconciliations the two finally divorced in July '57, two short months after Sinatra made a second recording of this song. Nothing in life wounded Sinatra more, or gave greater depth and meaning to his art, than his affair and marriage with Ms. Gardner.
I'm a Fool to Want You
Frank Sinatra Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm a fool to want you
To want a love that can't be true
A love that's there for others too
I'm a fool to hold you
Such a fool to hold you
To seek a kiss not mine alone
Time and time again I said I'd leave you
Time and time again I went away
But then would come the time when I would need you
And once again these words I'd have to say
Take me back, I love you
It hit me, I need you
I know it's wrong, it must be wrong
But right or wrong I can't get along
Without you
In "I'm a Fool to Want You," Frank Sinatra is singing about his inability to let go of a love that cannot be realized. Though he acknowledges that the love he desires will never be true, he still holds onto false hope. He is aware that his love's affection is not exclusive to him alone, but he continues to pursue her. His actions display a lack of control over his emotions, and he often finds himself leaving and returning to the same love. He sings about his vulnerability and how he can't get along without her, even though he knows it's wrong.
The lyrics reflect Sinatra's own personal life experiences, as he was known to have tumultuous relationships with women. "I'm a Fool to Want You" was written after Sinatra's affair with actress Ava Gardner ended. Sinatra felt immense shame for cheating on his wife with Gardner, but he also couldn't let go of his love for her. The song was written by Sinatra along with Joel Herron and Jack Wolf. It was released in 1951 and quickly became one of Sinatra's most popular songs. It was later recorded in a duet with Dinah Shore in 1956.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a fool to want you
I know that wanting you is foolish
I'm a fool to want you
Despite the consequences, I still want you
To want a love that can't be true
My desire for you is unwise because our love cannot be real
A love that's there for others too
I know that you are not mine alone because you also love others
Such a fool to hold you
I know that holding you is foolish
To seek a kiss not mine alone
I want to kiss you, but I know that you have kissed others
To share a kiss that devil has known
I know that my desire for you is sinful and that you have shared intimate moments with others
Time and time again I said I'd leave you
I have tried to leave you many times before
Time and time again I went away
Despite my attempts to leave, I always come back
But then would come the time when I would need you
Whenever I feel weak, I need you
And once again these words I'd have to say
I find myself saying the same words to you again
Take me back, I love you
Please forgive me and take me back because I love you
It hit me, I need you
I suddenly realized that I cannot live without you
I know it's wrong, it must be wrong
I am aware that what I am doing is morally wrong
But right or wrong I can't get along
Despite knowing the consequences, I still cannot live without you
Without you
I cannot imagine my life without you
Lyrics © Kanjian Music, ABRAMUS, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, THE MUSIC GOES ROUND, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf, Joel Herron, Taito Vainio
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Mike
on The Lady Is A Champ
She gets too hungry for dinner at eight
She can't eat late and stay up all night, because unlike society types, she has to get up in the morning.
She likes the theatre and never comes late
She cares more about seeing the play than being seen making an entrance.
She never bothers with people she'd hate
Her friends are friends, not social trophies.
Doesn't like crap games with barons or earls
While barrns and earls probably don't play craps, she associates with friends, not people to be seen with.
Won't go to Harlem in ermine and pearls
She doesn't "slum", the practice of the rich in the 30's, when the song was written, of touring poor neighborhoods dressed in rich clothes to "tut, tut" about the deplorable conditions, and congratulate each other for "caring about the poor"
Won't dish the dirt with the rest of the girls
Doesn't trade gossip for acceptance among an in-crowd
She likes the free, fresh wind in her hair
She cares more about how her hair feels than conforming with current hair fashions
Hates California, it's cold and it's damp
Since most of California is noticeably warmer and / or drier than New York, where the play the song was written for is set, this is probably a facetious excuse to like what she likes.
And she won't go to Harlem in Lincoln's or Ford's
Another reference to slumming, but facetious, since Lincolns and Fords were middle-class, not luxury brands when the lyric was written
Anonymous
on Try a Little Tenderness
Here are the correct lyrics
Try A Little Tenderness - Frank Sinatra - Lyrics
Oh she may be weary
Women do get wearied
Wearing that same old shabby dress
And when she’s weary
You try a little tenderness
You know she’s waiting
Just anticipating things she’ll may never possess
While she is without them
Try just a little bit of tenderness
It’s not just sentimental
She has her grieve and her care
And the words that soft and gentle
Makes it easier to bear
You wont regret it
Women don't forget it
Love is their whole happiness
And it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Musical Interlude
And, it’s all so easy
Try a little tenderness
Daniel
on The Way You Look Tonight
I met Frank Jr. in Las Vegas, a real gentleman. RIP you both.
Giorgi Khutashvili
on Theme from New York, New York
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