Young And Foolish
The Rat Pack Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Young and foolish
Why is it wrong to be
Young and foolish
We haven't long to be

Soon enough the carefree days
The sunlit days go by
Soon enough the bluebird has to fly
We were foolish

One day we fell in love
Now we wonder
What were we dreamin' of
Smiling in the sunlight

Laughing in the rain
I wish that we were young and foolish again
Smiling in the sunlight
Laughing in the rain





I wish that we were young and foolish again

Overall Meaning

The song "Young and Foolish" by The Rat Pack is a reflection on the fleeting nature of youth and the inevitability of growing old. The lyrics express a desire to go back to a time when they were carefree and lacked the concerns that come with maturity. The repetition of the phrase "Young and foolish" serves as a reminder that youth is a time for experimentation and making mistakes without fear of consequences.


The first verse paints a picture of the passing of time, acknowledging that the carefree days will eventually come to an end. The line "Soon enough the bluebird has to fly" is a metaphor for the end of youth and the need to move on to new phases of life. The second verse speaks specifically to falling in love during their younger years, and how they now question what they were thinking.


The chorus expresses a longing to relive those moments of youth, with its sunny days and carefree demeanor. It's a wistful reminder that youth is fleeting, and something that should be cherished while it lasts.


Overall, "Young and Foolish" is a poignant reflection on the passage of time and the need to embrace the experiences of youth before they vanish.


Line by Line Meaning

Young and foolish
Being young and inexperienced in life


Why is it wrong to be
Questioning society's perception that being young and foolish is a negative thing


We haven't long to be
Realizing that youth is fleeting and we won't be young forever


Soon enough the carefree days
Acknowledging that the days of carefree youth will soon be over


The sunlit days go by
Time passes quickly and we can't hold on to youth forever


Soon enough the bluebird has to fly
Like the bluebird that must leave the nest, we too must leave our youth behind


We were foolish
Reflecting on some of the silly choices made in our youth


One day we fell in love
Reminiscing about the experience of falling in love for the first time


Now we wonder
Reflecting on past relationships and wondering if they were as meaningful as we thought they were


What were we dreamin' of
Questioning the expectations and dreams we had for our future when we were young


Smiling in the sunlight
Remembering the happy moments spent outside in the warmth of the sun


Laughing in the rain
Reminiscing on the fun times spent in the rain, carefree and without a worry in the world


I wish that we were young and foolish again
Expressing a desire to relive those carefree and happy moments of youth


Smiling in the sunlight
Remembering the happy moments spent outside in the warmth of the sun


Laughing in the rain
Reminiscing on the fun times spent in the rain, carefree and without a worry in the world


I wish that we were young and foolish again
Expressing a desire to relive those carefree and happy moments of youth




Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: ALBERT HAGUE, ARNOLD B. HORWITT

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@rahulbanerjee4181

Young and foolish
Why is it wrong to be
Young and foolish
We haven't long to be
Soon enough the carefree days
The sunlit days go by
Soon enough the bluebird has to fly

We were foolish
One day we fell in love
Now we wonder
What were we dreamin' of
Smiling in the sunlight
Laughing in the rain
I wish that we were young and foolish again

Smiling in the sunlight
Laughing in the rain
I wish that we were young and foolish again



All comments from YouTube:

@rahulbanerjee4181

O Dean love for you from India from the city of kolkata.....love you so much....

@sylviabouma6300

Beautiful song and sung so well .Thank you Dean and God keep you safe and close to Him .R I P.

@CarlDuke

From a Broadway play from 1954 entitled Plain and Fancy. The musical was struggling on the stage until Eddie Fisher recorded its lead song, Young and Foolish, and turned both his record of the song and the play into big hits.

@mikethomas1329

Sweet.One of Dino's best.

@paulbrislen1484

One Dean’s best recordings that wasn’t a hit. He did a lot of takes to get it right and the results are worth it.

@denisomahoney1546

Thank you!  This is so beautiful, tender, and nostalgic.

@henridelagardere264

Dec 28, 1954 (Session 3643), Capitol Recording Studio, 5515 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, California - Dean Martin - vocal, Nelson Riddle & Dick Stabile - leaders, David Klein - contractor, Robert F. 'Bob' Bain - guitar, Joseph 'Joe' Comfort - bass, Frank 'Frankie' Carlson, Frank Joseph Flynn, Louis 'Lou' Singer - percussion, Louis Brown - piano, Cy Bernard, Victor Gottlieb - cello, Kathryn Julye - harp, Victor Bay, Alex Beller, Walter Edelstein, Henry Hill, Felix Slatkin, Paul Shore, Gerald Vinci - violins, John W. Cave, Vincent DeRosa - horns, Morris L. Bercov, Alex Gershunoff, Warren 'Champ' Webb - saxophones, Harold Diner, Pullman G. Pederson, William Schaeffer - trombones, Bob Graham, Jack Gruberman, John Gustavson, Gene Lanham, Ray L. Linn Jr, Gil Mershon, William F. 'Bill' Reeve, Robert M. Wacker - vocal chorus.
Young and Foolish [Arnold B. Horwitt (words) & Albert Hague (music)]

@COYOTE165A

RIP Dean for you are sadly missed by all of your Fans etc

@BAU111

Never will be another thank you dean 🚬

@COYOTE165A

Dean was the king of Cool He always had more Class than Sinatra RIP Dean you are sadly missed by all of your Fans etc

More Comments

More Versions