What Kind Of Fool Am I
Newley Anthony Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Who never fell in love
It seems that I'm the only one
That I have been thinking of
What kind of man is this
An empty shell
A lonely cell in which
What kind of lips are these
That lied with every kiss
That whispered empty words of love
That left me alone like this
Why can't I fall in love
Like any other man
And maybe then I'll know
What kind of fool I am
What kind of eyes are these
That could not see
What could be seen by everybody else but me
What kind of clown am I
What do I know of life
Why can't I cast away
This mask of play and live my life
Why can't I fall in love
Till I don't give a damn
And maybe then I'll know
What kind of fool I am
The lyrics to Newley Anthony's song "What Kind of Fool am I" describe a man who has never fallen in love and is grappling with his loneliness and emptiness. He wonders what kind of person he is to have never felt the love that seems to come so easily to others. He questions the worth of his life and feels like he is just an empty shell with an unfulfilled heart. He also reflects on the lies that he has been told by lovers in the past, leaving him feeling alone in a world where everyone else seems to be able to find love except him.
The man in the lyrics expresses a desire to fall in love like any other person, so that he can understand himself better and know what kind of fool he really is. The song also talks about the man's struggles with his perception of reality, questioning why his eyes could not see what everyone else could see. He refers to himself as a clown, and seems to be longing to break free from the mask of play that he feels like he is wearing, and start living his life authentically.
Line by Line Meaning
What kind of fool am I
I am questioning my own capacity to fall in love and be loved.
Who never fell in love
I have never experienced the feeling of falling in love.
It seems that I'm the only one
I feel isolated and alone in this experience.
That I have been thinking of
My mind is consumed with thoughts of love and why I cannot attain it.
What kind of man is this
I am unsure of my self-worth and question what kind of man I truly am.
An empty shell
I feel hollow and lacking in purpose or direction.
A lonely cell in which
My life feels like a prison of loneliness.
An empty heart must dwell
My heart is devoid of love and companionship.
What kind of lips are these
I have deceived and lied with my words of love.
That lied with every kiss
Even physical affection is not genuine, and is used to manipulate others.
That whispered empty words of love
My declarations of love are insincere and devoid of true emotion.
That left me alone like this
My deception has resulted in me being alone and friendless.
Why can't I fall in love
I am unable to understand why I cannot experience true love.
Like any other man
It seems as though all other men are capable of falling in love.
And maybe then I'll know
Falling in love could be the key to understanding my own identity.
What kind of fool I am
By not being able to fall in love, I am a fool who is missing out on something important.
What kind of eyes are these
I cannot perceive elements of life that others are able to see with ease.
That could not see
My eyes are blind to the obvious aspects of life.
What could be seen by everybody else but me
Others are able to enjoy the pleasures of love and companionship, but I cannot.
What kind of clown am I
I feel foolish and inadequate for not being able to experience genuine love.
What do I know of life
I am questioning my own level of understanding when it comes to life and love.
Why can't I cast away
I am unable to rid myself of the facade that I present to others.
This mask of play and live my life
I want to be able to live my life as my true self, without the pretense of false love.
Till I don't give a damn
I hope to one day be able to love without fear or concern, without caring about the consequences.
And maybe then I'll know
Only by experiencing true love will I be able to understand myself completely.
What kind of fool I am
If I cannot achieve true love, then I am the fool who is missing out on one of life's greatest experiences.
Lyrics © RALEIGH MUSIC PUBLISHING
Written by: Anthony Newley, Leslie Bricusse
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@virghammer1
PS : Yes: Artist. ARTIST.
Unlike just about all the “artists” now 🙄 … (Ha ha lol). … Without sounding begrudging or anything… They may be somewhat decent, fairly competent performers… But they don’t know the meaning of the word and / in its true sense, a true Artist.
I’m just saying. That’s all. I say it without rancor. But one just has to be accurate about important, meaningful words like that. If you call all these poor schmuck “screaming weirdos “ - lol 😆 🤷♀️ - poor, freaky Twerking folk? imho, naturally- – lol – whatever… Nasal children who can’t write a song at all… lol — an “artist:” …. Well.
Then it degrades the word. And the colossal, magical effect that such a CREATOR: as Anthony Newley made/makes: on people.
An Artist: creates.
An Artist: doesn’t just: interpret.
An ARTIST: is able to create something new. Something original.
On a v., v., V. high Level: of hard-working: Q U A L I T Y. 🙏🏼 ✌🏽
So.
That’s all. ❤❤❤❤❤❤. … OK, folks: End of “rant!” Thx 🙏🏼 for reading. 👂 🙏🏼
Xo, VCH & Midlantic Theatre Co., Newark, NJ, US OF Bleeding A.
“(Lol.”). 🇺🇸 🙏🏼. Cheers, All: Bless us all, everyone, in this goofy 21st-century of ours! 🐸 🎭 🎥 ❤
@captaintanfastic
To all the detractors on here:
Tony Newley died in 1999. He was one of the most talented, creative, and prolific composers/actors/singers/writers ever to come out of the UK. I very much doubt if any of his detractors have even seen him perform, and are therefore hardly qualified to judge.
You've been watching Tony's cabaret version of What Kind of Fool Am I. He wrote the song. He sang it in the West End and on Broadway and in Las Vegas hundreds of times. I have witnessed and appreciated his talent in all these places.
In more intimate cabaret rooms, he felt he could relax a little and parody himself - all part of the entertainment, and very entertaining it was. He had a unique sense of humour which is clearly neither understood nor appreciated by some of the people who've been unkind enough to write abusive comments on this page.
You are of course all entitled to your views. So am I. His body of work has been amazing right from the time he played the Artful Dodger in 1948 and throughout his subsequent career. Other entertainers can only dream of equalling his achievements, and very few of them are ever likely to do so.
In my opinion, Tony Newley was a genius, and that's that.
@gabriellewarden6485
Along with his wonderful voice and unique personality he had a certain vulnerability which made him completely irresistible..........
@5micky2
A singer of the old school, oozing class. And he wrote it too. Frank Sinatra was great but he didn't write the songs he sang.
And Mr Newley was no one-hit wonder, he just kept producing one masterpiece after another. Brilliant.
@laineywright2696
David Bowie loved this singer and channeled Anthony's stylings into his own unique sound.
It's been so long since I heard Anthony sing... I completely forgot how fantastic Mr. Newly was.
@LordWilsonVILLA
Yes, he sang The Laughing Gnome in Anthony Newley style.
@susandonb58
I saw him live at a small outdoor theater in the round back in the 70s. He was wonderful. Brilliant artist.
@virghammer1
Ahhhh, Susan ! Wistfully jeeealous here … W o W …. 🙏🏼
@virghammer1
PS : Yes: Artist. ARTIST.
Unlike just about all the “artists” now 🙄 … (Ha ha lol). … Without sounding begrudging or anything… They may be somewhat decent, fairly competent performers… But they don’t know the meaning of the word and / in its true sense, a true Artist.
I’m just saying. That’s all. I say it without rancor. But one just has to be accurate about important, meaningful words like that. If you call all these poor schmuck “screaming weirdos “ - lol 😆 🤷♀️ - poor, freaky Twerking folk? imho, naturally- – lol – whatever… Nasal children who can’t write a song at all… lol — an “artist:” …. Well.
Then it degrades the word. And the colossal, magical effect that such a CREATOR: as Anthony Newley made/makes: on people.
An Artist: creates.
An Artist: doesn’t just: interpret.
An ARTIST: is able to create something new. Something original.
On a v., v., V. high Level: of hard-working: Q U A L I T Y. 🙏🏼 ✌🏽
So.
That’s all. ❤❤❤❤❤❤. … OK, folks: End of “rant!” Thx 🙏🏼 for reading. 👂 🙏🏼
Xo, VCH & Midlantic Theatre Co., Newark, NJ, US OF Bleeding A.
“(Lol.”). 🇺🇸 🙏🏼. Cheers, All: Bless us all, everyone, in this goofy 21st-century of ours! 🐸 🎭 🎥 ❤
@stephaniesadie832
And this, dear Millenials, is why the dross churned out by Simon Cowell's acts will all be forgotten in 50 years, and Anthony newly will still be here.
@jancolman3307
An incredible artist. We must remember him.
@danielbrown1366
Wonderful performance. The theatrics of hands, the suit, the awkwardness was really great - and then the end note....... 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻