Like many other successful musicians from Chicago, he studied music at DuSable High School under Walter Dyett. Griffin, was reputed to be the 'World's Fastest Saxophonist' in the jazz idiom, though as he aged, and as the jazz audience declined, this accolade all but disappeared.
In the 1940s and 1950s he worked in Lionel Hampton's and Joe Morris's bands, in the Jazz Messengers, and in the Thelonious Monk Quartet. From 1960 to 1962 Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis and Griffin led their own group. Having felt he had achieved much in the USA, his pinnacle on record arguably the 1957 Blowin' session on the Blue Note label with fellow tenor John Coltrane, he moved to Europe. He lived in France in 1963, moving to the Netherlands in 1978, and he still continued to record and tour until his death in 2008.
These Foolish Things
Johnny Griffin 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 Johnny Griffin's "These Foolish Things" describe the lingering memories of a past love. The singer seems unable to escape the memories and ties that still bind them to the one who got away. The little things, such as the traces of lipstick on a cigarette or the sound of a tinkling piano, bring both happiness and pain, reminding the singer of their lost love. The nostalgia runs deep as the singer relives moments of the past, from the winds of March to the sigh of midnight trains in empty stations.
The chorus unifies the verses, repeating the same message that these foolish things remind the singer of their lost love. The repetition emphasizes the unshakeable nature of the memories and feelings. The final verse explores the senses - the smell of gardenia perfume on a pillow, the taste of wild strawberries, and the sound of Bing Crosby's voice. Each sensory detail brings the lost love even closer, until the ghost of the person seems to cling more fiercely to the singer's heart.
In essence, "These Foolish Things" expresses the power of memories to sustain us or haunt us in the present. The song captures the bittersweet feeling of being unable to let go of a past love.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Are you never going to give me my freedom?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
Will I always be bound to you?
The ties that bound us
Our connection to each other
Are still around us
Are still present and affecting us
There's no escape that I can see
I cannot see a way out of this situation
And still those little things remain
The small reminders of our time together still exist
That bring me happiness or pain
Which can evoke happy or painful memories
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A cigarette that has marks from your lipstick on it
An airline ticket to romantic places
A ticket to a place we once went to that was romantic
And still my heart has wings
I still feel emotions and love
These foolish things remind me of you
These small things trigger memories of our time together
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
A piano playing in a nearby apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
The words I said that revealed my true feelings
A fair ground's painted swings
Swings at a local fair
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You won me over when we first met
When you did that to me
When you won me over and I fell in love with you
I knew somehow this had to be
I knew that we were meant to be together
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The winds of March that lift my spirits
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
A ringing phone with no one to answer it
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
I can still feel your presence even when you're gone
First daffodils and long excited cables
The first flowers of spring and long-distance calls
And candle lights on little corner tables
Romantic candlelit dinners on small tables
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The peaceful park at night when the bell rings
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The "Ile de France" ship with seagulls flying around it
The beauty that is Spring's
The beauty of springtime
How strange how sweet to find you still
It's amazing and bittersweet to still have feelings for you
These things are dear to me
These memories and reminders are important to me
They seem to bring you near to me
They make me feel like you're still with me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of midnight trains passing through empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Stockings discarded after a night of dancing
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
The scent of gardenia perfume left behind on a pillow
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
Wild strawberries sold for a reasonable price
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The beauty of Garbo's smile and the fragrance of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The waiters whistling during the last call at a bar
The song that Crosby sings
The music of Crosby that brings back memories
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The aroma of smoldering leaves and the sound of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
A pair of lovers walking as if they're in a dream
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind