Shortly after, they recruited their good friend and photographer Glenn Gregory on vocals to complete their lineup for Heaven 17. Contrary to popular belief, they were not 'New Romantics' per se and had different visual characteristics than groups such as Spandau Ballet and the Culture Club. Like The Human League, Heaven 17 heavily used synthesizers and drum machines while taking influence from the minimalist electronica music of the 70s.
They had a few minor hits in their early days, including the song "Play To Win" that featured on the album 'Penthouse and Pavement'. Their debut single '(We Don't Need This) Fascist Groove Thang' from the same album attracted some attention, became a left-wing anthem for a while, and was banned by the BBC because of its overtly political lyrics, but it still reached number 45 in the UK singles chart.
Major chart success eluded them until the single 'Temptation' (in which they were augmented by the vocalist Carol Kenyon) reached number 2 in the UK charts in summer 1983. Other songs from the same album, The Luxury Gap, also charted though not as high - 'Come Live With Me' reached number 5 in the UK, 'Crushed By The Wheels Of Industry' reached number 17, and 'Let Me Go', reaching 41 in November 1982. The album itself charted at their best ever position, number four.
At the end of 1983, the band helped re-launch Tina Turner's solo career, producing and providing backing vocals on her debut hit 'Let's Stay Together'. 1984 featured the release of the moderately successful How Men Are, which reached number 12.
The band also worked on the Band Aid single at the end of 1984, with Gregory supplying vocals alongside Midge Ure and Sting. However, they did not perform at Live Aid the following year.
Pleasure One (featuring the single 'Trouble') appeared in 1986 and it was followed up in 1988 with Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho (featuring the single 'Train Of Love In Motion'). The early 90's were a quiet period for the band and they wouldn't work together as Heaven 17 until 1996's Bigger Than America. In the preceding years, Marsh and Ware produced a second B.E.F. album to 1981's original Music of Quality and Distinction and Gregory formed the band Ugly. Ware became an in-demand producer, working for the likes of Terence Trent D'Arby, Alison Moyet and Erasure. 2005 saw the release of the long-awaited Before After; the album having a much more contemporary dance sound compared to previous albums.
The Foolish Thing To Do
Heaven 17 Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How it started in such a strange way
It ended in a strange way too
And this is why I am singing this song for you
It's a foolish thing to do
Such a foolish thing to do
Give your heart to someone new
(yeah)
We've all made the same mistakes
One foolish glance one smile we made
A hundred thousand feel this way
While other people are just waiting for the day
It's a foolish thing to do
Such a foolish foolish thing to do
Go when you want it
When you need it
Don't just believe it
For the first an last time
Stop !
You'd better look around
One day you'll walk into the room
Your eyes will meet
You'll fall in love too soon
The next time you might hesitate
The chance is all those rooms have eyes
So don't forget
It's a foolish thing to do
Such a such a foolish thing to do
To go and give your heart and soul to someone new
It's a foolish foolish thing to do
So when you feel it
When you can touch it
And you believe it
For the first an last time
Stop !
You'd better look around
It's a foolish thing to do
Such a foolish thing to do
The lyrics of âThe Foolish Thing To Doâ by Heaven 17 warn against the perils of falling in love too easily and too quickly. The song begins with the singer reflecting on how their relationship started and ended in strange ways, prompting them to sing about the dangers of giving oneâs heart to someone new. The chorus repeats the refrain that it is foolish to give oneâs heart so readily.
The second verse of the song paints a picture of a shared experience - that of making the same mistakes of falling in love too quickly. The singer acknowledges that they are not alone, and that countless others share this experience of giving in to temptation. However, the song warns that other people lurking in the shadows are waiting for the perfect vulnerable moment, and that love should not be taken lightly.
The last verse tells listeners to be cautious, to take their time, and to not fall into the trap of giving everything to someone that may betray them. The songâs repeated chorus warns of the vulnerability of giving oneâs heart to someone new, which is indeed a foolish thing to do.
Overall, âThe Foolish Thing To Doâ is a cautionary tale instructing listeners to be wary of love and the vulnerability that accompanies it.
Line by Line Meaning
I was thinking just the other day
Reflecting on a memory recently
How it started in such a strange way
The beginning was unusual
It ended in a strange way too
The end was peculiar
And this is why I am singing this song for you
Expressing the reason for the song
It's a foolish thing to do
Giving your heart to somebody new is unwise
Such a foolish thing to do
Emphasizing the lack of wisdom in giving your heart to someone new
Give your heart to someone new
Making yourself vulnerable to someone else is risky
(yeah)
Expressing agreement or acknowledgement of the message
We've all made the same mistakes
Acknowledging that everyone makes mistakes in relationships
One foolish glance one smile we made
A brief connection with someone can lead to an unwise relationship
A hundred thousand feel this way
Many can relate to this experience
While other people are just waiting for the day
Others may be watching and waiting for an opportunity
Go when you want it
Implying a lack of caution in pursuing a relationship
When you need it
Acting on a desire for love without restraint
Don't just believe it
Skeptical of untested feelings of love
For the first and last time
Emphasizing the finality and significance of an initial interaction
Stop!
Halt or reconsider before pursuing a relationship
You'd better look around
Encouraging examination of the situation and people involved
One day you'll walk into the room
Describing a potential scenario
Your eyes will meet
Eye contact playing an important role in initial attraction
You'll fall in love too soon
The danger of falling in love too quickly
The next time you might hesitate
Citing the potential lesson learned for future interactions
The chance is all those rooms have eyes
Others may be watching or listening in to private interactions
So don't forget
Reminder to be cautious
To go and give your heart and soul to someone new
The decision to commit and trust someone new
When you feel it
Indicating when emotions are strong
When you can touch it
Physical connection affecting emotions
And you believe it
The power of belief in romantic situations
It's a foolish thing to do
Restatement of the central message of the song
Such a foolish foolish thing to do
Strong emphasis on the unwise nature of the behavior
Lyrics Š BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: GLENN GREGORY, IAN MARSH, MARTYN WARE, NICK PLYTAS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Jonathon Singleton
Thanks DoctorRewind,
You might be interested to know in Australia "Foolish Thing To Do" was 100% off the radio/music television radar in 1986. I bought "Teddy Bear" in '88, but Glenn Gregory's version aint the same.  It wasn't until 2006, and the Greatest Hits/+DVD compilation, that I first experienced the collaborative masterpiece of Jimmy Ruffin's performance of the song.
I blame the international music press for their collective nastiness regarding both BEF and Martyn Ware production work. The elitist silliness of this mainly British criticism has very obviously stopped average punters from hearing music classics.Â
And Jimmy Ruffin's "Foolish Thing To Do" is a classic...
Not since Tina Turner's collaboration with the British Heaven 17/B.E.F. production team in 1983 with their release of Al Green's "Let's Stay Together", have I been so utterly moved and transported into melancholic explanations of adult affairs -- so what do you know about "love" anyway!?!
DoctorRewind
Thank you very much taking time to comment and compliment. It'sďťż nice when someone appreciates :) I love this song and Jimmy Ruffin's performance so much. Glad you enjoyed it too! Please feel free to share the link.
DoctorRewind
Underrated is the word! Thank you for your comment. Please share great music :)
DoctorRewind
Thank you to everyone who has commented on this clip. I had no idea this many people would stop and listen...let alone love it like I do! Please feel free to share it with your friends. Good music should be heard and known to everyone. Much love, Doctor Rewind :-)
DimitriusMann
You won't believe this but I didn't just come across this clip here. I remembered of it and wanting to hear it again after so many years I looked it up and found your clip. So for the ones like you who like the old days' real music you are not alone out there. More of us are out there too... Thanks so much for putting so much time into this creating such a great quality clip wich makes justice to both the music and the clip....
DoctorRewind
Thank you for your comment and compliment! Real music...always and forever :)
Jonathan Clary
RIP Jimmy Ruffin (1936-2014)â¤đľ
The UK'S Greatest Singer of all time
carl hubbard
I probably already gushed about this before somewhere in the comments but here I am, years later, still enthralled by the majesty of this criminally overlooked beauty...magic
Belle Star
Thank you for this - it's wonderful... real musicians and a superb song, plus your amazingly good audio... Well done!
PrismProcess
This is a quite super and sublime song. The vocals are exquisite. You know the world is a much worse place without Jimmy Ruffin and this arrangement by Heaven 17 is seminal. An absolutely uplifting version. On their album Teddy Bear, Duke & Psycho there is the original version which while very good does not even come close to this. This is a super super song...... you would need to be completely deaf not to realise that.
lee carvey
hey dude thank you so much for this song...i well remember it coming out..i went out and broughtthe 45 single which i still have..told all my mates how great it was..sadly so underated and never was a hit...you have done an outstanding job on this video..the sound very crisp.. bloody well done mate!..such a great song,,,ruffins vocal so powerful..fantastic arrangement..top production..excellent. well done.give .say goodbye to hollywood by ronnie spector and the e street band a listen.awesome:)