Mayfield was born in Minden, Louisiana. As a youth, he showed a talent for poetry, so he thought he would try songwriting and singing. He began his performing career in Texas and had moved to Los Angeles by 1942.
He auditioned his song "Two Years of Torture" to Supreme Records (a Los Angeles-area record label) because he thought it would be a good song for Jimmy Witherspoon. The label liked his performance and asked him to record it in 1947. Although his vocal style was influenced by such stylists as Charles Brown, Mayfield did not focus on the white market as did many West Coast bluesmen. Rather, he sang blues ballads, mostly his own songs, in a gentle vocal style.
In 1950, he signed with Specialty Records and released several well-received R&B records. His most famous performance: "Please Send Me Someone to Love" was a number one R&B hit in 1950. His career continued to blossom with songs like "Strange Things Happening", "Lost Love," "What a Fool I Was," "Prayin' for Your Return," "Cry Baby," and "Big Question." A 1953 auto accident left him seriously injured, including a facial disfigurement that limited his performing.
Mayfield's songs tend to be downbeat and his lyrics tend to be heartbreaking, but his vulnerability and emotional sensitivity prevent songs like "Life Is Suicide" and "The River's Invitation" from being maudlin.
Mayfield continued to write and record for Specialty until 1954 and then recorded for Chess Records and the Imperial label. In the early 1960s, he became one of Ray Charles's favorite songwriters, writing classic songs such as "Hit the Road Jack", "At the Club", and "Danger Zone" (which has the same melody of "Please Send Me Someone to Love". Charles signed Mayfield to his Tangerine logo in 1962.
When Mayfield died of a heart attack in 1984, at the age of 63, he had fallen back into obscurity.
Mayfield hit his creative peak in the years before his music became a mainstream sound. Thus it was always a struggle to gain recognition that he was due. But available examples of his music demonstrate his writing and performing talent and his enormous influence on other performers
What a Fool I Was
Percy Mayfield Lyrics
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To think that you could love me
Percy Mayfield's "What A Fool I Was" is a heartbreaking song about love and deception. The lyrics describe the foolishness of the singer in believing that their lover could truly love them back. The song is filled with regret and despair, as the singer realizes that they have been played for a fool. The first line, "What a fool I was," sets the tone for the rest of the song, as the singer acknowledges their own naivety.
The second line, "To think that you could love me," deepens the sense of betrayal and heartache. The singer had placed their trust and hope in this relationship, only to realize that their love was not reciprocated. The song captures the universal experience of feeling foolish after experiencing heartbreak. The melancholy melody and Mayfield's soulful voice make this song a powerful expression of raw emotions.
Overall, "What A Fool I Was" is a poignant and relatable song about the painful end of a relationship. Its lyrics and melody communicate the sense of loss and regret that comes with a broken heart.
Line by Line Meaning
What a fool I was
I deeply regret my past foolishness and errors in judgment.
To think that you could love me
I believed that you were capable of having genuine feelings for me, despite evidence to the contrary.
Contributed by Juliana I. Suggest a correction in the comments below.