What Kind Of Fool Am I
Frank Sinatra & Dean Martin/Sam Lyrics

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What kind of fool am I
Who never fell in love
It seems that I'm the only one
That I have been thinking of

What kind of man is this?
An empty shell
A lonely cell in which

An empty heart must dwell

What kind of lips are these
That lied with every kiss
That whispered empty words of love
That left me alone like this

Why can't I fall in love
Like any other man
And maybe then I'll know what kind of fool I am.

What kind of clown am I?
What do I know of life?
Why can't I cast away the mask of play
And live my life?

Why can't I fall in love

Till I don't give a damn
And maybe then I'll know what kind of fool I am

Overall Meaning

The song "What Kind of Fool Am I?" expresses the struggle of a man who has never fallen in love and questions his worth and identity because of that. The song evolves as the singer reflects on the emptiness of his life, the hollowness of his heart, and the lies that he believed in while pursuing love. He realizes that he has been living in a lonely shell and he wonders what kind of man he is. He feels like a fool because he has been thinking of someone who may never love him back.

The lyrics suggest that the singer wishes he was not just a clown, but someone who can live life without pretending or hiding behind a mask. He wants to experience the freedom of love and fall madly in love like most men do. The singer seems to hold love in high esteem, as he desires to transcend his current state of emptiness and find fulfillment. He ends the song recognizing that if he falls in love, he will know what kind of fool he has been.

Line by Line Meaning

What kind of fool am I
I'm wondering what type of foolish person I am

Who never fell in love
because I've never experienced love

It seems that I'm the only one
I'm the only person I ever think about

That I have been thinking of
to the point where I'm alone with my thoughts

What kind of man is this?
I'm questioning my own sense of masculinity

An empty shell
feeling like I have nothing to offer

A lonely cell in which
trapped in my own loneliness

An empty heart must dwell
because it's all I have left

What kind of lips are these
I'm questioning the sincerity of my own words

That lied with every kiss
because I wasn't honest with my feelings

That whispered empty words of love
even though I said I loved someone, it was just words