"Ordinary Fool" is the title track of Paul Williams' 1975 album, Ordinary F… Read Full Bio ↴"Ordinary Fool" is the title track of Paul Williams' 1975 album, Ordinary Fool. More famously, it appeared on the soundtrack for 1976 children's gangster film Bugsy Malone. The soundtrack version (bearing the subtitle "Blousey's Blues") is performed by Florrie Dugger as Blousey Brown, fittingly changing the perspective of the singer from male to female. Musically, the song is a unique installment in Williams' catalog, eschewing Williams' typical soft rock production for a bluesy jazz instrumentation.

Ordinary Fool
Paul Williams Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Only a fool
Like fools before me
I always think with my heart
Only a fool
That same old story
Seems I was born for the part

It's a lesson that I've learnt

And a page I should have turned
I shouldn't cry
But I do
Like an ordinary fool
When her ordinary dreams fall through

How many times
Have I mistaken
Good looks and lies
For bad news
How many times
Have I mistaken
Love songs and laughs
For the blues

It's a lesson that I've learnt
And a page I should have turned
I shouldn't cry
But I do

Like an ordinary fool
When her ordinary dreams fall through

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Ordinary Fool" by Paul Williams describe a familiar feeling of heartbreak and disappointment. The singer acknowledges that they are a fool who always thinks with their heart and falls for the same old story. They seem resigned to this fate, feeling that they were born for the part of the ordinary fool. The lyrics explore the theme of mistakes and misjudgment in love, how the singer has repeatedly mistaken good looks for bad news and love songs and laughs for the blues.

The chorus of the song expresses the singer's sadness and regret at how their ordinary dreams always seem to fall through. They recognize that this is a lesson they should have learnt by now, but they still cry like an ordinary fool. The song is a poignant reminder of the vulnerability and pain that comes with falling in love and the mistakes that we all make along the way.

Overall, the lyrics of "Ordinary Fool" are a relatable reflection on love and heartbreak. The song captures the universal feeling of being an ordinary fool, someone who always falls for the wrong person and ends up with a broken heart. But despite the pain, the song suggests that it's still worth taking a chance on love, even if it means making mistakes along the way.

Line by Line Meaning

Only a fool
I am foolish

Like fools before me
I am not the first to be foolish

I always think with my heart
I allow emotions to control my decisions

That same old story
My life is predictable

Seems I was born for the part
Foolishness is my destiny

It's a lesson that I've learnt
I have learned from my mistakes

And a page I should have turned
I should have moved on

I shouldn't cry
I should be strong

But I do
But I cannot help it

Like an ordinary fool
I am like many others

When her ordinary dreams fall through
When my hopes do not come true