Les Paul (Lester William Polsfuss, June 9, 1915 – August 12, 2009) and Mary Ford (Iris Colleen Summers, July 7, 1924 – September 30, 1977) were introduced to each other by Gene Autry in 1946 and married in 1949.
They first appeared in the pop charts in 1950. Between the years 1950 and 1954, Les Paul and Mary Ford had 16 top-ten hits. They had five top-ten hits within nine months. "Tennessee Waltz", "Mockin' Bird Hill", "How High the Moon" (#1 for nine weeks), "The World Is Waiting for the Sunrise" and "Whispering". From August 1952 to March 1953 they had five more top-ten hits; "My Baby's Coming Home", "Lady of Spain", "Bye Bye Blues", "I'm Sitting on Top of the World" and "Vaya Con Dios" (#1 for 11 weeks). Their 1954 version of "I'm a Fool to Care" went to #6, and was featured in a memorable Southern Comfort commercial in 2013 that got over 1 million views on YouTube.
In 2009, they were inducted into the Hit Parade Hall of Fame.
Les Paul and Mary Ford are famous for creating a makeshift recording studio in their garage. In their garage studio, they used multitrack recording to record many of their hits including ‘Lover’, ‘Nola’, ‘Brazil’ and ‘Whispering' with only the two of them.
YouTube has a large selection of clips from their syndicated TV show "Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home" (1954-'55).
Les Paul and Mary Ford divorced acrimoniously in December 1964, which also ended the collaboration between the two.
The duo have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.
Les Paul had hosted a 15-minute radio program, The Les Paul Show, on NBC in 1950, featuring his trio (himself, Ford, and rhythm player Eddie Stapleton) and his electronics, recorded from their home and with gentle humour between Paul and Ford bridging musical selections, some of which had already been successful on records, some of which anticipated the couple's recordings, and many of which presented dazzling re-interpretations of such jazz and pop selections as "In the Mood," "Little Rock Getaway," "Brazil," and "Tiger Rag." Several recordings of these shows survive among old-time radio collectors today.
The show also appeared on television a few years later with the same format, but excluding the trio and retitled The Les Paul & Mary Ford Show (aka Les Paul & Mary Ford At Home) with "Vaya Con Dios" as a theme song. Sponsored by Warner Lambert's Listerine, it was widely syndicated during 1954–55 and was only five minutes long (one or two songs) on film and therefore used as a brief interlude or fill-in on programming schedules. Since Les created the entire show himself, including audio and video, he maintained the original recordings and was in the process of restoring them to up-to-date quality at the time of his death.
I'm a Fool to Care
Les Paul & Mary Ford Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I know I love you but what can I do, I'm a fool to care
I'm a fool to cry when you tell me goodbye
You left me so blue when you were untrue, I'm a fool to care.
I know I should laugh and call it a day
But I know I would cry if you went away
Why should I pretend I'll lose in the end, I'm a fool to care.
(I know I should laugh and call it a day
But I know I would cry if you went away)
I'm a fool to care when you don't care for me
Why should I pretend I'll lose in the end, I'm a fool to care
The lyrics of Les Paul & Mary Ford's song "I'm a Fool to Care" speak to the experience of someone who is caught in a one-sided relationship, where they love someone who does not love them back in the same way. The singer is painfully aware of how they are being treated, and they even describe themselves as a "fool" for continuing to care about this person. Despite the hurt and rejection they feel, the singer cannot help but love the person who is causing them so much pain. They try to convince themselves that they should just "laugh it off" and move on, but deep down they know that the thought of losing this person makes them truly sad.
Throughout the song, the singer paints a picture of a relationship that is full of heartache and disappointment. They cry when the other person leaves them, and they feel "blue" when they are lied to or deceived. Despite all of this, they cannot help but love the person who is causing them so much pain. It is a poignant and powerful portrayal of romantic love, and the complicated emotions that can come with it.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm a fool to care when you treat me this way
Even though you treat me poorly, I still care about you and it makes me foolish.
I know I love you but what can I do, I'm a fool to care
Despite my knowledge of your mistreatment, my love for you makes me feel foolish and powerless.
I'm a fool to cry when you tell me goodbye
Although I am aware that you are leaving me, my emotions are overwhelming and make me feel foolish for crying.
You left me so blue when you were untrue, I'm a fool to care.
Your infidelity has caused me immense sadness and yet I still foolishly care about you.
(I know I should laugh and call it a day
But I know I would cry if you went away)
I understand that I should move on and forget about you but I know I would feel sad if you were no longer a part of my life.
I'm a fool to care when you don't care for me
My foolishness stems from my continued caring for you even though you do not reciprocate those feelings.
Why should I pretend I'll lose in the end, I'm a fool to care.
I realize that there is no use in pretending and that ultimately I will be hurt, which only adds to my foolishness in caring for you.
Lyrics © Peermusic Publishing
Written by: TED DAFFAN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@598eric
I'm a fool to care when you treat me this way
I know I love you but what can I do, I'm a fool to care
I'm a fool to cry when you tell me goodbye
You left me so blue when you were untrue, I'm a fool to care
I know I should laugh and call it a day
But I know I would cry if you went away
I'm a fool to care when you don't care for me
SO Why should I pretend I'll lose in the end, I'm a fool to care
(I know I should laugh and call it a day
But I know I would cry if you went away)
I'm a fool to care when you don't care for me
so Why should I pretend I'll lose in the end, I'm a fool to care
@Mycroftsbrother
Nice to hear the beautiful sound of the guitar without distortion, overdrive, tons of reverb, etc.. No "shredding" necessary... just tasteful, subtle, accompaniment and simple solo add so much to the song. Good singing without the vocal acrobatics you get these days. Nice work by Les and Mary. I could listen for hours.
@LovinTheMall
This is great! I just found out My grandfather Ted Daffan wrote this song! I cant believe Les and Mary sand this!
@theghosttourmusic7156
I grew up next door to Hank Thompson who actually sang me one of your grandfather’s songs when I was 7. It’s what got me into playing music which is what I’ve done for a living my while life now.
@Lisbeth22250
God bless your grandfather. I also love this song by Joe Barry, the best version.
@unitedsongbirds
Always an impeccable duo 💖
@Crackers2549
Mary Ford... What a voice, beautiful!.. The dynamic duo, Les and Mary!
@leelarson6534
One of the greatest singers and perhaps the best guitarist.
@Kitandrox
They were my first introduction to music, had the 78 of How High the Moon, still one of my all time favorites, Les and Mary recorded so many super tunes this being one of them. How I miss the 50s and 60s, and thank God for U tube
@Baridan
Amazinglty beautiful rendition. I've been playing it over and over. This is just as smooth as a song can possibly be..
@Kojoanna
So nice❤