It being April 1st, I thought I’d play some fool songs. There are a LOT of fool songs if you Google lists of them. I’ve heard and mostly own these, but it’s hardly complete even by those criteria.
Fools in Love – Joe Jackson (1979). “Are there any creatures more pathetic?” I related to this a lot last century.
Why Do Fools Fall In Love – Frankie Lymon and The Teenagers (#6 pop, #5 RB in 1956). Joni Mitchell covered this live.
Everybody’s Somebody’s Fool – Connie Francis #1 for two weeks pop in 1960)
The Fool – Sanford Clark (#7 pop in 1956)- I couldn’t remember the artist’s name, but I indeed remembered the song. The guitar riff by Al Casey was based on Howlin’ Wolf’s song Smoke Stack Lightnin, released the same year.
1962
What Kind Of Fool Am I – Sammy Davis, Jr. This song charted four times in 1962, which must have been a foolish year. Davis (#17 pop, #6 adult contemporary), Anthony Newley (#85 pop), Robert Goulet (#89 pop), and Vic Damone (#131 pop)
Fool for You – the Impressions (#22 pop, #3 RB in 1968)
Fool on the Hill – Sergio Mendes and Brasil ’66 (#6 pop, #1 for six weeks AC in 1968). Of course, this was originally in the Beatles’ Magical Mystery Tour movie
Fooled Around And Fell In Love– Elvin Bishop (#3 for two weeks pop in 1976. Mickey Thomas, later of Jefferson Starship/Starship, was on lead vocals
What A Fool Believes – Doobie Brothers (#1 pop, #22 AC, #72 RB in 1979)
Won’t Get Fooled Again – The Who (#15 pop in 1971). Of course, its chart action doesn’t begin to cover the song’s significance.
Chain Of Fools – Aretha Franklin (#2 pop for two weeks, #1 for four weeks RB in 1968); this is the album version
Everybody Plays The Fool – The Main Ingredient (#3 pop, #25 AC, #2 for three weeks RB in 1972). I’ve heard the Aaron Neville version a lot in the Hannaford supermarket
Ship of Fools
There are a lot of items in popular culture using the title Ship of Fools, including some gaming devices. A 1965 movie features Janet Leigh. The eponymous website is “‘for people who prefer their religion disorganized,’ says the Ship’s editor and designer, Simon Jenkins. ‘Our aim is to help Christians be self-critical and honest about the failings of Christianity, as we believe honesty can only strengthen faith.'” Then there’s a book by someone who I think IS a fool.
The Wikipedia page describes the term: The ship of fools “is an allegory, originating from Book VI of Plato‘s Republic, about a ship with a dysfunctional crew. The allegory is intended to represent the problems of governance prevailing in a political system not based on expert knowledge.”
Ship Of Fools (Save Me From Tomorrow)- World Party (#27 in 1987)
Ship of Fools – Robert Plant (#84 in 1988)
Ship Of Fools– Erasure (1988)
Ship Of Fools– Grateful Dead (1974)