She was the first American singer to record at Abbey Road Studios in England. Her fan base even included Asia and the Philippines. She had 7 top hits, including "Why Don't You Believe in Me?", "Your Cheating Heart," "Almost Always," and "Have You Heard?"
She married composer Tony Acquaviva in 1956. In 1964, she dropped out of the public eye to take care of him and did so until 1986, when Mr. Acquaviva passed away. She began to tour again in the 1990's. She was given a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
These Foolish Things
Joni James Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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 song "These Foolish Things" by Joni James is a nostalgic ballad about the lingering memories and emotions of a lost love. The lyrics express the singer's longing and inability to escape the ties that still bind them to their former lover. The repeated refrain of "These foolish things remind me of you" underscores the emotional power that everyday objects and experiences can have when they are associated with someone we once loved.
The song uses a variety of imagery to evoke this sense of nostalgia and longing. The lipstick traces on a cigarette, the tinkling piano in a neighboring apartment, and the sound of midnight trains in empty stations all serve as triggers for memories and emotions. Even the sights and scents of spring and the smiling face of Greta Garbo become bittersweet reminders of a lost love.
While the lyrics do not offer any hope of reconciliation or closure, they do suggest that the memories and emotions associated with a lost love can be both painful and sweet. By juxtaposing images of longing and loss with those of beauty and joy, the song captures the complexity of human emotions and the power of memory to shape our perceptions of the world.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Is it possible for you to stop controlling me and let me have my freedom?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
Oh! Will you never give me the freedom I yearn for?
The ties that bound us
The strong emotional connection that brings us together
Are still around us
The connection we have made still exists
There's no escape that I can see
I don't see a way out for myself from this emotional bond
And still those little things remain
Despite all, the small things or moments stay with us
That bring me happiness or pain
And those things make me feel elated or miserable
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A cigarette with lipstick marks makes me think of you fondly
An airline ticket to romantic places
Even an airline ticket to a romantic place reminds me of our past times together
And still my heart has wings
My heart is still light and fluttery
These foolish things remind me of you
These silly things bring back memories of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
The sound of a piano playing in a nearby apartment reminds me of our romance
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
The words that I faltered to say but meant something deep remind me of that time
A fair ground's painted swings
Even seeing a painted swing at a carnival brings back memories of you
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You arrived, saw me, and captured my heart seamlessly
When you did that to me
When you won my heart over that very moment
I knew somehow this had to be
I had a feeling that this was meant to happen
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The breezes of March make my heart dance with memories of you
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
A phone call that rings but no one answers reminds me of the times we used to speak on the phone
The beauty that is Spring's
The loveliness of spring when everything is in bloom
How strange how sweet to find you still
It's strange yet lovely to know that you are still with me
These things are dear to me
These memories and moments with you are precious to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The memories and moments make me feel like you're still close to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of trains at midnight in empty stations makes me miss you intensely
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Even the sight of silk stockings and dance invitations brings back memories of you
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
The scent of gardenia perfume on a pillow reminds me of you and our past together
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
The price of wild strawberries being seven francs a kilo reminds me of the good times we had together
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The scent of roses and the smile of Garbo brings back memories of our romantic times together
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
Even the whistling of waiters as the last bar closes reminds me of how much I miss you
The song that Crosby sings
Even listening to the songs Crosby sang reminds me of the times we shared together
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The sound and scent of smouldering leaves and the wail of steamers brings back memories of you
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Watching two lovers walk by brings back memories of how we used to walk together
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
Oh, how I still feel haunted by you and the memories of our time together
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Paul Riofski
What a lovely rendition of one of my favorite standards from the Great American Songbook, John. We did not have the Joni James albums when I grew up, so I've had to come to appreciate her in my adult years. Thanks again for your beautiful channel.
joe a smythe
@Fegen John, you hit the nail on the head, she has that wonderful quality that makes every song beautiful. Have a happy Thanksgiving