These Foolish Things
Sammy Davis Lyrics
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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
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 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
The smile of Turner 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
These Foolish Things is a song by Sammy Davis Jr. that talks about the things and memories that remind him of a past love. The song begins with a plea for freedom from the ties that still bind him to his past love. He lists the little things, such as a cigarette with lipstick traces, a romantic airline ticket, and stumbling words that express his love towards her, that still bring him happiness or pain. These things remind him of the love that he had, which he admits to having been conquered by. He then goes on to talk about other things that trigger memories of his past love, such as the winds of March that make his heart dance, the park in the evening, the beauty of spring, and the scent of smoldering leaves.
The song suggests that even though the relationship has ended, there's no escaping the remnants of love that are left behind. Despite this, Davis seems to find comfort in reminiscing about the love he once had. He finds it strange yet sweet to still feel close to his past love through the memories that he cherishes.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Can you please leave me alone and let me move on?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
Can you please stop haunting me and let me go?
The ties that bound us
The emotional connection that we shared
Are still around us
Still exist and can be sensed
There's no escape that I can see
I cannot seem to move on from our past relationship
And still those little things remain
Even though time has passed, some things have not changed
That bring me happiness or pain
These remind me of both the good and bad times we had together
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A memory of the intimate moments we shared
An airline ticket to romantic places
Remembrance of the adventures we had together
And still my heart has wings
My heart still feels light and free when I think of you
These foolish things remind me of you
All these little things make me think of you
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
The sound of the piano reminds me of the times we spent together
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
The times I tried to express my feelings to you
A fair ground's painted swings
The fun we had together, enjoying life's simple pleasures
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You won my heart effortlessly
When you did that to me
When you made me fall in love with you
I knew somehow this had to be
I knew that we were meant to be together
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The feeling of freedom and happiness that comes with springtime
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
I still hope it's you calling me, even though I know it's not
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The peacefulness and beauty of the park at dusk
The 'Ile de France' with all the gulls around it
The picturesque scenery that reminds me of our romantic travels
The beauty that is Spring's
The breathtaking beauty of the spring season
How strange how sweet to find you still
It's surprising and lovely to still be reminded of you
These things are dear to me
These memories are precious to me
They seem to bring you near to me
It feels like you're still with me when I remember these things
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Loneliness and longing at night, reminiscent of when we were apart
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
The enchanting and seductive moments we shared
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
The sweet scent of your perfume that lingers
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
The joy of the simple, but meaningful things we shared
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The beauty and elegance that reminds me of you
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The lively atmosphere of the night scene that brings back memories of us together
The song that Crosby sings
The music that takes me back to the moments we shared
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The sounds and smells of autumn that reminds me of you
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Seeing other happy couples who remind me of us, who once walked hand in hand
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
I can't seem to shake off the memory of you
These foolish things remind me of you
All these little things make me think of you
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind