LaVerne Butler is a superb but underexposed jazz singer whose main influenc… Read Full Bio ↴LaVerne Butler is a superb but underexposed jazz singer whose main influences include Nancy Wilson and Sarah Vaughan. Butler is originally from Shreveport, LA, where she grew up listening to jazz and R&B extensively with a lot of encouragement from her father, saxophonist Scott Butler.

After leaving Shreveport, she moved to New Orleans, where she studied music at the University of New Orleans and become a fixture in the city's Dixieland and bebop venues. Butler worked with such distinguished locals as Alvin Batiste, Ellis Marsalis, Henry Butler (no relation), and James Black before deciding to move to the New York area in 1984. Butler studied with Jon Hendricks after arriving in New York and later earned her living as an English teacher while tackling the Manhattan club world.

The early to mid-'90s found Butler signed to Chesky, for which she provided her bop-oriented debut album, No Looking Back (1992), and her lighter, more relaxed sophomore release, Day Dreamin' (1994). After leaving Chesky, Butler planned to record an album for Herbie Mann's Kokopelli label in 1997, but her plans fell through when the company experienced financial problems. 1999 saw the release of her third album, Blues in the City.

Wikipedia: LaVerne Butler

I'm A Fool To Want You
LaVerne Butler Lyrics

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I'm a fool to want you
I'm a fool to want you
To want a love that can't be true
A love that's there for others too

I'm a fool to hold you
Such a fool to hold you
To seek a kiss not mine alone

To share a kiss the Devil has known

Time and time again I said I'd leave you
Time and time again I've gone away
But then would come the time when I would need you
And once again these words I'd have to say

I'm a fool to want you
Pity me, I need you
I know it's wrong, it must be wrong
But right or wrong I can't get along
Without you

Time and time again I said I'd leave you
Time and time again I've gone away
Then would come a time when I would need you
And once again these words I'd have to say

I'm a fool to want you
Pity me, I need you
I know it's wrong, it must be wrong

But right or wrong I can't get along
Without you

Overall Meaning

In LaVerne Butler's song "I'm A Fool To Want You," the singer reflects on her foolishness for wanting a love that is not true, a love that is shared with others. She is aware of her own foolishness in holding onto this love, even though she knows it is not just hers. She recognizes the negative consequences of this love but cannot help herself. The lyrics acknowledge that she has tried to leave this love many times, but she always comes back to it, recognizing that she needs it. The chorus repeats, "I'm a fool to want you, pity me, I need you" revealing the singer's deep emotional connection to this love that she knows is not good for her.

The song explores themes of unrequited love, emotional dependency, and the complexities of human relationships. The singer expresses her emotional struggle and self-awareness, saying "I know it's wrong, it must be wrong, but right or wrong I can't get along, without you." This line shows that while she knows the love is damaging to her, she cannot help but feel that it is a necessary part of her life.

Overall, "I'm A Fool To Want You" is a poignant reflection on the human experience of being drawn into a less-than-perfect love that we cannot help wanting, despite its negative consequences.

Line by Line Meaning

I'm a fool to want you
I am foolish to desire your love, even though it cannot be genuine.

To want a love that can't be true
I am foolish to want a love that is not sincere and is also shared with others.

To seek a kiss not mine alone
I am foolish to desire a kiss that is not exclusively meant for me.

To share a kiss the Devil has known
I am foolish to share a kiss that is sinful and has been shared by others as well.

Time and time again I said I'd leave you
I have promised myself numerous times that I would depart from this situation.

But then would come the time when I would need you
However, there are moments when I am overcome with the necessity of your company.

Pity me, I need you
Have compassion for me as I am heavily reliant on you.

I know it's wrong, it must be wrong
I am cognizant of the fact that it is wrong to desire your love.

But right or wrong I can't get along
Regardless of whether it is right or wrong, I cannot bear to be without you

Without you
I am unable to function without you by my side.

Lyrics © DistroKid, BMG Rights Management, ABRAMUS, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, THE MUSIC GOES ROUND, Songtrust Ave, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Frank Sinatra, Jack Wolf, Joel S. Herron

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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