In 1985 at age 13 when her parents separated, Lhasa, her mother and her sisters settled in San Francisco where Lhasa started singing in a Greek cafe. She included Spanish language lessons in her high school studies. After viewing a documentary about Billie Holiday, Lhasa determined that she, too, would make a career in singing. In 1991 she traveled to Montreal to visit her sisters who were students at l'École nationale de cirque, the National Circus School of Canada, and she decided to make Montreal her home. Steeped in a Francophone culture for the first time, she sang for five years in bars, collaborating with rock guitarist Yves Desrosiers. In 1992, Denis Wolff, general manager of the independent Canadian record company, Audiogram, saw Lhasa performing, her head shaved, in front of a tiny nightclub audience. He was struck with "her personality, her charisma and her voice" – he soon signed her to the label. With Desrosiers she developed the material that eventually became her first album.
Born in Big Indian, New York, she grew up in the United States and Mexico, and moved to Montreal, Canada when she was twenty years old. After the success of her 1998 album La Llorona, which mixes everything from traditional Mexican music to klezmer to alternative rock, she moved to France. Her album The Living Road was released in 2003. In 2005 she won the “Americas” category in the Awards for World Music. She released her third and last album, Lhasa in 2009.
Lhasa de Sela died of breast cancer in Montréal, Québec, on 1st January 2010.
Fool's Gold
Lhasa de Sela Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And shelter me forever
That was a hard promise to keep
I can't blame you for the bad weather
After all that has been said and done
I won't ask you where you're going
Don't keep in touch
Except sometimes early in the morning
Now use your silver tongue once more
There's one thing that I'd like to know
Did you ever believe the lies that you told?
Did you earn the fool's gold that you gave me?
I forgive you wanting to be free
I realize you long to wander
And I sympathize with your roving eyes
I just can't forgive your bad manners
Now use your silver tongue once more
There's one thing that I'd like to know
Did you ever believe the lies that you told?
Did you earn the fool's gold that you gave me?
Did you ever believe the lies that you told?
Did you earn the fool's gold that you gave me?
In Lhasa de Sela's song Fool's Gold, the singer is coming to terms with a broken promise that was made to her by her lover. He promised to shelter her forever, but the bad weather came and he couldn't keep his promise. The singer doesn't blame her lover, but she also doesn't want to know where he's going. Although she may miss him early in the morning, she doesn't want to keep in touch or think about him too much.
The chorus of the song asks whether or not the lover believed the lies that he told and if he earned the fool's gold he gave the singer. The singer forgives him wanting to be free and to wander, but she doesn't forgive his bad manners. The use of the silver tongue suggests that the singer's lover was charming and convincing, but the fool's gold suggests that it was all fake.
Overall, the song portrays a sense of acceptance and forgiveness, but also a sense of betrayal and disappointment. The singer has come to terms with the broken promise, but she wants to know the truth about the lies that were told to her.
Line by Line Meaning
You told me that you'd stay with me
You made a commitment to me that you wouldn't leave.
And shelter me forever
You promised to protect and provide for me indefinitely.
That was a hard promise to keep
It was difficult for you to follow through on that promise.
I can't blame you for the bad weather
I don't hold you responsible for the hardship we faced.
After all that has been said and done
Despite everything that has happened between us,
I won't ask you where you're going
I won't inquire about your movements.
Don't keep in touch
Please don't try to contact me.
I don't miss you much
I don't long for your presence.
Except sometimes early in the morning
But occasionally I still think of you, especially in the morning hours.
Now use your silver tongue once more
Speak to me in your smooth and persuasive manner, as you often do.
There's one thing that I'd like to know
I have one question for you.
Did you ever believe the lies that you told?
Did you convince yourself that your deceitful words were true?
Did you earn the fool's gold that you gave me?
Did you acquire the worthless riches that you gave me through dishonest means?
I forgive you wanting to be free
I understand and pardon your desire for freedom.
I realize you long to wander
I recognize that you have a strong urge to explore and travel.
And I sympathize with your roving eyes
I share your sentiment for seeking out new experiences.
I just can't forgive your bad manners
However, I cannot overlook the disrespectful way you treated me.
Writer(s): Lhasa Desela, Sarah Page
Contributed by Xavier M. Suggest a correction in the comments below.