Marcus Canty (born January 22, 1991) is from Bowie, Maryland, where he curr… Read Full Bio ↴Marcus Canty (born January 22, 1991) is from Bowie, Maryland, where he currently lives. The Won't Make A Fool Out of You Songfacts states that Canty was born in Bowie, Maryland and raised there by his single mother Darlene Canty. At the age of 15, Canty performed at The Apollo Theater and the following year he auditioned for American Idol but was cut by the judges. Five years later he entered the first season of The X Factor USA. During his audition, he sang "I Wish" by Stevie Wonder. His musical influences include Marvin Gaye, Luther Vandross, Stevie Wonder, Donny Hathaway, Boys II Men Mary J. Blige, Monica, Bobby Brown, and Whitney Houston. At judges' houses, he performed "All My Life" by K-Ci & JoJo. On the November 23 results show, he landed in the bottom 3 with Lakoda Rayne and LeRoy Bell, and had to sing off against Bell. He was saved by having more votes than Bell due to the judges being deadlocked. The following week, on December 1, he landed in the bottom 3 again along with Drew and Astro, and had to sing off against Drew. Simon Cowell voted to eliminate him, but Nicole Scherzinger, Paula Abdul and his mentor L.A. Reid voted to save him. Then, on December 8, he landed in the bottom 2 yet again, along with Rachel Crow. The judges went into deadlock for a second time, and he was saved by having more votes than Crow. In the semi-finals, Canty was eliminated by receiving the least number of votes, taking fourth place overall.
As a result of his success on the show, Canty was given a recording contract in January 2012 by Epic Records. His first single, "Won't Make A Fool Out of You," was released on March 7, 2012.

Careless Whisper
Marcus Canty Lyrics

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Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend
To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind
There's no comfort in the truth
Pain is all you'll find

Chorus
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm.

Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool.
I should have no better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given
So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you.

Tonite the music seems so loud
I wish that we could lose the crowd.
Maybe it's better this way
We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say.

Chorus
I'm never gonna dance again
Guilty feet have got no rhythm.
Though it's easy to pretend
I know you're not a fool.
I should have no better than to cheat a friend
And waste the chance that I'd been given

So I'm never gonna dance again
The way I danced with you.

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Marcus Canty's Careless Whisper are an ode to lost love and regret. The opening verse starts with a poignant reflection on the impossibility of fixing the harm done to a friendship by careless whispers. The line "To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind" seems to suggest that it's easier to ignore the truth and shield oneself from pain than face the reality of a damaged friendship. The truth, however, is that there's no comfort to be found in the truth when it comes to lost love and broken trust. Pain is all you'll find, and the damage that's been done can't be undone.

The chorus of the song is a declaration of the singer's guilt and regret. The singer admits to having cheated a friend and wasted the chance that had been given to him. He knows that he's not fooling anyone by pretending that he can dance again just as he used to with his lost love. The line "Guilty feet have got no rhythm" is a play on words, as 'rhythm' can refer to dancing skills as well as a comfortable pace. The singer's guilt has robbed him of both. The regret in the song is palpable, as the singer longs for the time when he could dance with his lost love, but knows that that time is gone forever.

Overall, Canty's Careless Whisper is a plaintive and heartfelt song about the pain of lost love, the regret of wasted chances, and the hopelessness of trying to fix what's already broken.

Line by Line Meaning

Time can never mend the careless whispers of a good friend
No matter how much time passes, the pain caused by betraying a friend cannot be undone.

To the heart and mind, ignorance is kind
Sometimes not knowing the truth is easier on our emotions and thoughts than facing harsh realities.

There's no comfort in the truth Pain is all you'll find
The truth is often difficult to hear and can cause pain, but it is ultimately better than living in a lie.

I'm never gonna dance again Guilty feet have got no rhythm.
I feel remorse for my actions and the consequences that followed.

Though it's easy to pretend I know you're not a fool.
It's tempting to pretend that everything is okay, but I know you're smart enough to see through the facade.

I should have no better than to cheat a friend And waste the chance that I'd been given So I'm never gonna dance again The way I danced with you.
I regret betraying our friendship and trust and recognize that I missed out on an opportunity by doing so. I vow to never repeat the same mistake.

Tonite the music seems so loud I wish that we could lose the crowd.
I feel overwhelmed by the situation and wish we could address it in private, away from the prying eyes of others.

Maybe it's better this way We'd hurt each other with the things we want to say.
Perhaps it's best to leave things as they are, rather than risk causing more pain by speaking candidly about our feelings.

Contributed by Chase A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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