These Foolish Things
The Rat Pack Lyrics


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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 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

Overall Meaning

The Rat Pack's song These Foolish Things is a song about reminiscing past love. The first verse portrayed the relics left by his past love, such as a cigarette with lipstick traces and an airline ticket to romantic places. These things could have easily been discarded and forgotten, but they were kept because they serve as a reminder of the love they once shared. The second verse mentioned specific moments, like hearing a tinkling piano in the next apartment, and the stumbling words he said that showed his true feelings. The singer was taken over by the emotions he felt, as if he was possessed by the love he shared with his past flame. The third verse conveyed the idea that the memories left behind by his previous love, such as the winds of March or a ringing telephone, lingered like a ghost. The song ended with the mention of Turner's smile, the scent of roses, and a song that Crosby sings as additional things that remind him of his past flame.


Line by Line Meaning

A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
I'm reminded of you by the sight of a cigarette with lipstick marks


An airline ticket to romantic places
Reminded of the times we've traveled to romantic destinations


And still my heart has wings
Even though it's been a while, my heart still feels light and hopeful


These foolish things remind me of you
These small details bring back memories of you


A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Hearing a piano playing in the next apartment reminds me of listening to music with you


Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
I think back on the times I struggled to express my feelings to you


A fairground's painted swings
The sight of a painted swing on a fairground brings back memories


You came, you saw, you conquered me
I was taken over by you when we met


When you did that to me
I knew that you were the one for me


I knew somehow this had to be
I had a feeling that we were meant to be together


The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The breezy vibes of March make me feel alive and happy


A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
The sound of a ringing phone without anyone to answer it


Oh, how the ghost of you clings
I'm haunted by thoughts of you


The smile of Turner and the scent of roses
The sight of a friendly smile and the scent of roses take me back to memories of you


The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The sound of waiters whistling as a bar closes reminds me of our time spent enjoying late nights together


The song that Crosby sings
The sound of Bing Crosby singing brings back memories of our shared love for music




Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@alexandreseynaeve8251

Since I'm European. I've got to admit...honestly : America did provide the world with the best singers (ever).

@jackspry9736

RIP Frank Sinatra (December 12, 1915 – May 14, 1998), aged 82
And
RIP Ella Fitzgerald (April 25, 1917 – June 15, 1996), aged 79
You both will be remembered as legends.

@tomlaud

No crazy sets, no wind machines, no pyrotechnics, no back up dancers….just pure talent.

@MarCapa-ed5uv

No one half naked lol

@IgnoranceOfLife

hi, you are so right tbh, i completekt agree with your train of thought on this one tbh cvhoo choo thbe train has kleft thge station and it aint cvomingn bCK BABAY AND NO WAY ITS COINGBBA CJK OBA BY TBHJ

@paulmaes6054

Who could hold a candle to Ella...one of the few celebrities ..I asked for an autograph I was a star struck room service busboy. She snarled a little bit me her autograph. I gave the autograph to a man who was a dancer who reminded me of Fred Astaire ..... The Legendary Ella......

@daking589

Ella is sheer perfection. Every vocal choice she makes is always a stunning surprise.

@rosie8126

Ella was and still is the Queen of Jazz. The quality of sound, the pearls given to the mere mortals is a joy to behold that will last a lifetime. Glorious.

@ElizabethOpondo

“Ella Fitzgerald is the only performer with whom I’ve ever worked who made me nervous. Because I try to work up to what she does. You know, try to pull myself up to that height, because I believe she is the greatest popular singer in the world, barring none—male or female.” —Frank Sinatra

@nhatle4291

That's why she was such a tramp for him.

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