These Foolish Things
Thelonious Monk Lyrics


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Oh! Will you never let me be?
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
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 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

Overall Meaning

The song "These Foolish Things" presents a situation of someone who cannot forget their past love. They are surrounded by things that remind them of their former lover, and as much as they want to move on, they can't seem to escape the nostalgia. The singer asks if they will ever be set free from the ties that bind them to their past romance. The things that remind them of their ex-lover are both happy and painful. They range from a lipstick-stained cigarette, an airplane ticket to romantic places, to a tinkling piano in the next apartment, the sigh of midnight trains in empty stations, silk stockings thrown aside, and the scent of smoldering leaves. In essence, what they cherish, love, and regret are all embodied in these small mementos the world offers.


The singer expresses their confusion over the strange and sweet surprise of still feeling close to their past lover even after they've gone. They seem to take comfort in their memories since every little thing reminds them of their past love. They make a plea to their lover in this song, asking them to let them be, and to set them free from the hold that their memories have on them.


Line by Line Meaning

Oh! Will you never let me be?
Why won't you leave me alone?


Oh! Will you never set me free?
Why won't you let me go?


The ties that bound us
The connection we had


Are still around us
It still remains


There's no escape that I can see
I can't seem to get away


And still those little things remain
The small details of our time together


That bring me happiness or pain
That make me feel both joy and sorrow


A cigarette that bears a lipstick's traces
A trace of your lips on a cigarette


An airline ticket to romantic places
A ticket to a romantic destination


And still my heart has wings
I still have feelings for you


These foolish things remind me of you
These little things make me think of you


A tinkling piano in the next apartment
The sound of a piano playing nearby


Those stumbling words that told you what my heart meant
My clumsy attempts to express my love for you


A fair ground's painted swings
A colorful carnival ride


You came you saw you conquer'd me
You won me over


When you did that to me
When you captured my heart


I knew somehow this had to be
I knew it was meant to be


The winds of March that make my heart a dancer
The March breeze that lifts my spirits


A telephone that rings but who's to answer?
A phone call without a recipient


Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
How your memory lingers


First daffodils and long excited cables
The arrival of spring and long-distance communication


And candle lights on little corner tables
Soft lighting in cozy corners


The park at evening when the bell has sounded
The park's ambiance at dusk


The "Ile de France" with all the gulls around it
The Ile de France ship surrounded by seagulls


The beauty that is Spring's
The beauty of the season of spring


How strange how sweet to find you still
It's strange yet sweet to still hold feelings for you


These things are dear to me
These things have sentimental value to me


They seem to bring you near to me
They give me a sense of your presence


The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
The lonely sound of trains at night


Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
An invitation to dance, with stockings on the floor


The smile of Garbo and the scent of roses
The beauty of Greta Garbo and the fragrant scent of roses


The waiters whistling as the last bar closes
The waiters' call signaling the bar's closing time


The song that Crosby sings
The music of Bing Crosby


The scent of smould'ring leaves, the wail of steamers
The aroma of burning leaves and the sound of steam engines


Two lovers on the street who walk like dreamers
Two people, deeply in love, walking dreamily




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Harry Link, Holt Marvell, Jack Strachey

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

English Guy

The way he was able to distill the essence a piece of music into something that seems so simple and yet nobody could do it quite like he could, that's his genius.

Gonzalo Abt

That chromatic descending at 1:11 and just then that long ascending run, makes me shiver

George Ptolemy

Favorite composition on this album.

Chris Walker

How can a piano player beat this feeling? The most genius piano approach

SELMER B.Action

Genius at work !!!!!!!!!!!!

Peter N Nevraumont

A more subdued version than the 1956 Prestige version.

Annie Sepanski

Love

Ryan Barrington Cox

The King

MacKsherroll Gordon-Bellamy

R.I.P. thank you.    MacK  the  Sax