These Foolish Things
Nat King Cole Lyrics


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Oh! Will you never let me be?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us
Are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
An airline ticket to romantic places
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
A fair ground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came you saw you conquer'd me
When you did that to me
I knew somehow this had to be
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you

First daffodils and long excited cables
And candle lights on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is Spring's
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you

Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The song that Crosby sings
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers




Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you

Overall Meaning

These lyrics detail the lingering memories of a love that has ended. Despite the end of the relationship, the singer cannot escape the ties that still bind them to their former lover. The little things that once brought happiness now bring pain, such as a cigarette with a lipstick trace or an airline ticket to romantic places. These small reminders still have the power to make the singer's heart soar, despite the pain they may bring.


The lyrics also describe the beauty of life and the various things that remind the singer of their lost love. From the sounds of a piano in the next apartment to the first daffodils of the season, all of these things evoke memories of their past love. Even the sigh of midnight trains and the scent of smouldering leaves are reminders of their lover.


The lyrics convey the complexity of human emotions and the lingering memories that can be difficult to shake, even after a relationship has ended. The image of the ghost of their former lover clinging to them adds an eerie and haunting dimension to the song.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh! Will you never let me be?
The pain of lost love is still present and won't go away.


Oh! Will you never set me free?
The writer knows the relationship is over, but can't seem to let go.


The ties that bound us
The emotional connection and sense of obligation from the relationship still lingers.


Are still around us
The impact of past love is still felt in the present.


There's no escape that I can see
The writer is helpless to escape the memories of the past relationship.


And still those little things remain
Small reminders of the relationship are still present in everyday life.


That bring me happiness or pain
These reminders evoke both positive and negative emotions for the writer.


A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
The physical remnants of the relationship are still present.


An airline ticket to romantic places
Memories of romantic trips taken together.


And still my heart has wings
Love still lingers in the writer's heart.


These foolish things remind me of you
These small reminders bring the writer back to thoughts of their past love.


A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Everyday sounds bring to mind past shared moments.


Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
Words and expressions of love shared in the past.


A fair ground's painted swings
Memories of happy times together.


You came you saw you conquer'd me
The power and impact of the past relationship.


When you did that to me
The writer was powerless against the emotions and feelings of love for their partner.


I knew somehow this had to be
The feeling that this love would have a lasting impact.


The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The change of seasons and emotions that come with it are a reminder of past love.


A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
No one left to answer calls from the past love.


The ghost of you clings!
The memories of past love linger on.


First daffodils and long excited cables
The start of Spring and the sense of renewal brings back memories of love.


And candle lights on little corner tables
Small details from past romantic moments.


The park at evening when the bell has sounded
Memories of moments shared in familiar places.


The 'Ile de France' with all the gulls around it
Memories of past travels and experiences shared together.


The beauty that is Spring's
The beauty of Spring reminds the writer of the beauty of past love.


The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sounds of the night bring back memories of lost love.


Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Physical remnants of passionate moments shared.


The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Senses bring back memories of times shared with a past love.


Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Seeing other happy couples reminds the writer of past love.


How strange how sweet to find you still
Despite the pain, there is still a sense of sweetness to past love.


These things are dear to me
Memories of love are still cherished by the writer.


They seem to bring you near to me
Memories have the power to bring feelings of past love back to the present.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

PEDRO CRUZ

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These Foolish Things

Nat King Cole



Opciones

A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces,
An airline ticket to romantic places,
And still my heart has wings...
These foolish things remind me of you.

A tinkling piano in the next apartment,
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant,
A fairground's painted swings...
These foolish things remind me of you.

You came, you saw,
You conquered me.
When you did that to me,
I knew somehow this had to be.

The winds of march that made my heart a dancer,
A telephone that rings,
And who's to answer? 
Oh, how the ghost of you clings...
These foolish things remind me of you.

The first daffodil and long excited cables,
And candle lights on little corner tables,
And still my heart has wings...
These foolish things remind me of you.

The park at evening when the bell has sounded,
The 'ile-de-france' with all the gulls around it,
The beauty that is spring's...
These foolish things remind me of you.

How strange, how sweet
To find you still,
These things are dear to me,
They seem to bring you near to me.

The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations,
Silk stockings tossed aside, dance invitations.
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you...

These foolish things remind me of you



All comments from YouTube:

Devin Rivas

Nothing can beat this Generation of music. It's just so powerful ! You are never too Young or Old to appreciate good ol' Nat King Cole.

Paul Johnson

His voice is amazing. I never hear anyone on the radio sing like that anymore.

brad dovel

we used to have music of your life on radio, then turned into music of my life ,,, oh im getting old . lol now its not on the air t all

Hi there

@brad dovel thank goodness for YouTube

Stuart Perry

It's amazing when one considers-that, if Nat had only been a jazz pianist, he would have gone down as one of the greatest in history (which he is). That he became one of our greatest and most unique vocalists is the reason that he is Nat KING Cole. There has never been anyone like him.

Juliana

his voice always makes me think of christmas.... its a good thing, it shows that his voice comforts and relaxes me that i feel so happy.. like no worries! :)

Joseph

I just lost my wife. This song that I heard in the fifties... now it makes sense.

catman916

I am so sorry for you. Joe.

Joseph

Liam Berg (STUDENT) Thanks. Engaged again in answer to prayer. And you?

Eleonora Skomorovskaya

One of the best melodies of the world.Magic voice of Nat King Cole. Fantastic band.

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