Fool That I Am
LIVING ROOM - Etta James Lyrics
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For falling in love with you.
And a, fool that I am,
For thinking you loved me, too.
You took my heart,
Then played the part of little coquette.
And, all my dreams just disappeared
Fool that I am,
For hoping you'd understand.
And thinking you
Would listen, too,
And, oh, the things I had planned.
But we couldn't see eye to eye
So, darling, darling, darling,
This is goodbye.
But I still care, but I still care,
And oh, fool that I am.
Oh, but I still care,
Fool that I am.
The song "Fool That I Am" by Etta James is a poignant and soulful portrayal of unrequited love. The opening lines reveal the singer's self-awareness of her own foolishness in falling in love with someone who does not reciprocate her feelings. The use of repetition in the first two lines emphasizes the depth of the singer's regret. The next line reveals the extent of the deception, as the person she loved played the part of a flirt or "coquette." The line "all my dreams just disappeared like the smoke from a cigarette" is a vivid metaphor for the pain of dashed hopes and extinguished passion.
The singer continues to express her disappointment with lines such as "For hoping you'd understand" and "And thinking you would listen, too" which show her desire for emotional connection and understanding. The use of the word "darling" three times adds a sense of intimacy and tenderness to the breakup, and the repetition of "But I still care" reveals the complexity of her emotions. The final line, "Oh, but I still care, Fool that I am," is a powerful contradiction of the opening lines, indicating that even though the singer knows that she should have known better, she cannot help but feel deeply for this person.
Overall, the central theme of the song is the pain and despair of unrequited love, as it explores the heartbreaking feeling of a love that is only one-sided.
Line by Line Meaning
Fool that I am
I am foolish because I fell in love with you
For falling in love with you.
My love for you has made me look foolish
And a, fool that I am,
I still feel foolish for loving you
For thinking you loved me, too.
I was foolish for believing that you loved me as well
You took my heart,
You stole my heart
Then played the part of little coquette.
You acted like a flirtatious woman to me
And, all my dreams just disappeared
All my hopes and plans for our future vanished
Like the smoke from a cigarette.
Just like smoke, my dreams vanished into thin air
For hoping you'd understand.
I was foolish for believing that you would comprehend my feelings
And thinking you, Would listen, too,
I was foolish for hoping that you would pay attention to me
And, oh, the things I had planned.
I had many things in mind, but they all went down the drain
But we couldn't see eye to eye
We couldn't come to an agreement or understanding
So, darling, darling, darling,
My dear, my sweet, my love,
This is goodbye.
This is the end of our relationship
But I still care, but I still care,
I still have feelings for you
And oh, fool that I am.
I am foolish for still loving you
Oh, but I still care,
Even though it's over, I still have feelings for you
Fool that I am.
I am foolish for still caring for you
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Floyd Hunt
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Esther Adam
I've shredded my fingers to pieces with this one. #epiphone #dot #ettajames #jazz
Matt Syverson the Paperback Rocker
Nice job.