These Foolish Things
The Ray Conniff Singers Lyrics
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Oh! Will you never set me free?
The ties that bound us
Are still around us
There's no escape that I can see
And still those little things remain
That bring me happiness or pain
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 fair ground's painted swings
These foolish things remind me of you
You came you saw you conquer'd 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
First daffodils and long excited cables
And candle lights on little corner tables
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The beauty that is Spring's
These foolish things remind me of you
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
And still my heart has wings
These foolish things remind me of you
The smile of Garbo 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
How strange how sweet to find you still
These things are dear to me
They seem to bring you near to me
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
These foolish things remind me of you
These lyrics are about the lingering memories of a past love. The singer longs to be free from the ties that still bind them to the person they once loved. They are haunted by little things that remind them of their former lover such as the trace of lipstick on a cigarette, an old airline ticket, and the sound of a tinkling piano. These small reminders of their past love bring both happiness and pain. The singer reminisces about the moments they shared, such as the winds of March that made their heart dance, a telephone that rang unanswered and the beauty of Spring.
The lyrics show how memories of a past relationship, both good and bad, can continue to affect us long after the relationship has ended. The singer is unable to escape the memories and is often reminded of the person they once loved through everyday objects and experiences, such as the scent of gardenia perfume, the waiters whistling at the last bar closure, and the sound of midnight trains in empty stations.
The lyrics convey a sense of nostalgia and the longing for the past, as the singer believes that these "foolish things" remind them of their former lover. However, they also show that even though the singer and their lover are no longer together, the memories and experiences they shared will always be a part of them.
Line by Line Meaning
Oh! Will you never let me be?
Will you always keep me trapped and unable to move on?
Oh! Will you never set me free?
Will you never allow me to move on and forget about you?
The ties that bound us
The emotional connection and shared experiences we had in the past
Are still around us
Those connections and experiences continue to affect us in our present lives
There's no escape that I can see
I feel trapped and unable to fully move on from our past relationship
And still those little things remain
Small reminders of our past relationship linger in my present life
That bring me happiness or pain
These reminders can evoke positive or negative emotions within me
A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A cigarette that you smoked and left behind with your lipstick on it
An airline ticket to romantic places
A ticket to a destination we visited together or planned to visit
And still my heart has wings
Despite the pain, my heart still feels light and hopeful
These foolish things remind me of you
These small objects or experiences bring back memories of you and our past relationship
A tinkling piano in the next apartment
Hearing someone play piano nearby reminds me of our shared love for music
Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
The moments when I struggled to express my feelings for you
A fair ground's painted swings
Riding swings at the carnival together
You came you saw you conquer'd me
You won my heart easily with your charm
When you did that to me
When you won my heart and made me fall for you
I knew somehow this had to be
I felt that our relationship was meant to be from the start
The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The refreshing and exciting feeling of Spring that reminds me of our past happiness
A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
The uncertainty of who might be calling and whether or not it might be you
The beauty that is Spring's
The beauty of nature during Spring that reminds me of our happy times together
How strange how sweet to find you still
It's both surprising and comforting to find that reminders of you still affect me
These things are dear to me
These reminders are important to me and hold sentimental value
They seem to bring you near to me
These reminders make me feel like you are still close to me
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The sound of trains departing late at night when the station is empty, which reminds me of missing you
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Memories of us dancing and enjoying each other's company
Gardenia perfume ling'ring on a pillow
The smell of your perfume on my pillow after you've been gone for a long time
Wild strawb'ries only seven francs a kilo
Fond memories of us enjoying fresh, cheap strawberries
The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
A reference to actress Greta Garbo, who reminds me of your beauty and grace, and the smell of roses that also reminds me of you
The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The sound of a bar closing for the night and waiters whistling as they finish their work day, which reminds me of times we stayed out late together
The song that Crosby sings
Hearing a song by Bing Crosby reminds me of our shared love for music
The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The smell of burning leaves in the Fall and the sound of steamers on a nearby river, both of which remind me of past experiences we shared
Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Seeing other people in love reminds me of our own past romance
Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: BOB STANLEY, PETER STEWART WIGGS, SARAH CRACKNELL
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind