Siffre released his first six albums of songs between 1970 and 1975, and a further three albums between 1988 and 1998. During this period he had several solo hits, including "It Must Be Love" (No. 14, 1971) (later covered by and a No. 4 hit for Madness, for which Siffre himself appeared in the video); "Crying, Laughing, Loving, Lying" (No. 11, 1972); and "Watch Me" (No. 29, 1972). In 1978 two of his songs, "Solid Love" (performed by Siffre) and "We Got It Bad" (co-written and performed by Bob James) reached the UK finals of the BBC's A Song for Europe. His 1987 hit "(Something Inside) So Strong", which reached No. 4, was an anti-Apartheid anthem that won the Ivor Novello Award for "Best Song Musically and Lyrically", and has since been used in Amnesty International campaigns, a television advertisement and Alice Walker's film against female genital mutilation: Warrior Marks.
In 1997, Siffre's play "DeathWrite" was staged at the Sherman Theatre in Cardiff and later televised.
His song "I Got The..." was sampled in rapper Eminem's hit single "My Name Is," Siffre, who is openly gay, said in an interview that he turned down the offer to approve the song at first until the original sexist and homophobic lyrics were removed: "Dissing the victims of bigotry – women as bitches, homosexuals as faggots – is lazy writing. Diss the bigots not their victims." Siffre eventually allowed its usage when he was sent a censored "clean" version, not realizing that he was also allowing the riffs use on the alternative "dirty" versions with the original lyrics.
In 1984 Siffre began writing poetry and has since released three books of poetry: "Blood on the Page" 1995 and "Monument" 1997. His poetry addresses a variety of themes, from theology and childhood to sociology, love, hate, language, critical thinking, and communication. In 2006, he released a new album, The Last Songs.
Fool Me a Good Night
Labi Siffre Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I don't mind and that's true
I just want you to be with me
Now and again will do
So love me just a little bit
Show me that you like to sit with me
Fool me but do it right
Fool me a good night
I don't care if there's another man
I don't care if there's three or four
I don't care 'cause it's better
than the way i was living before
So love me just a little bit
Show me that you like to sit with me
Fool me but do it right
Fool me a good night
Dazzle me with your eyes
Mesmerize the child in me
Give me the simple signs
Just the ones I want to see
I don't think it'll last so long
And I try not to think at all
So love me right when you love me wrong
You don't have to love me at all
So love me just a little bit
Show me that you like to sit with me
Fool me but do it right
Fool me a good night
The song "Fool Me a Good Night" by Labi Siffre is a soulful ballad that talks about the singer's willingness to be fooled by the person they love as long as they get to be together. The singer expresses that they don't mind if their partner lies to them, as long as they get to spend time together, even if it's only a little. The singer is willing to overlook any other romantic involvement their partner may have had as long as their current situation is better than how they were living before.
The chorus of the song emphasizes the singer's acceptance of being deceived by their partner, as long as they do it right and make it a good night. The second verse explores the idea of being dazzled and mesmerized by their partner's eyes, and how simple signs of affection are all the singer wants to see. The last verse is a bit melancholy, as the singer acknowledges that their relationship may not last long, and they try not to think about it too much. But they still want to be loved, even if it's just for a little while.
Overall, the song is about the singer's willingness to accept a deceiving and temporary love, just to be with the person they desire. It's a bittersweet reflection on how love can be complicated and imperfect, but still worth pursuing.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't mind if you lie to me
It's okay if you don't always tell me the truth.
I don't mind and that's true
I really mean it when I say I don't mind.
I just want you to be with me
I desire your presence in my life.
Now and again will do
I don't need you all the time, just sometimes.
So love me just a little bit
I need some affection from you.
Show me that you like to sit with me
Spend time with me and show that you enjoy it too.
Fool me but do it right
If you're going to deceive me, do it well.
Fool me a good night
Make me believe everything is okay for one night.
I don't care if there's another man
The possibility of you being with someone else doesn't bother me.
I don't care if there's three or four
Even if you were with multiple people, it still wouldn't bother me.
I don't care 'cause it's better than the way i was living before
Being with you is better than how I used to live my life.
Dazzle me with your eyes
Your eyes hold a special power over me.
Mesmerize the child in me
Your enchanting gaze brings out my inner child-like wonder.
Give me the simple signs
Show me the uncomplicated gestures of love.
Just the ones I want to see
I only want to see the signs of affection that I desire.
I don't think it'll last so long
I'm not expecting our relationship to last forever.
And I try not to think at all
I'm trying to avoid thinking about the inevitable.
So love me right when you love me wrong
Even if you don't love me like I want you to, just love me in the way you can.
You don't have to love me at all
I don't need you to love me, but I want you to want me.
Writer(s): Labi Siffre
Contributed by Julian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Melanie
on Cannock Chase
So beautiful :)