I wasn’t born until 1952, so a song written in 1935 might be considered to be an unusual inclusion in this series.
But I knew various versions of this song in my early teens, and by the time I was in my mid-thirties, I was certainly relating to every line.
Originally performed on the BBC Radio in 1936, the song was later recorded by the wonderful Billie Holiday, who had a huge hit with it. Although a 1936 recording by the famous ‘Hutch’ also got some attention.
Over the following decades, it was recorded by almost every famous singer you could think of. Including Nat King Cole, Frank Sinatra, and Sam Cooke.
Even now, at the age of 67, it sends shivers up my spine when I hear it.
I have chosen the much later recording by Brian Ferry, from 1973.
His rather melancholy tone, and deliberately stylised rendition, seems to suit the song perfectly.
Here are the lyrics.
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
Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Bob Stanley / Peter Stewart Wiggs / Sarah Cracknell
And here is Bryan, performing the song.
Still heartbreaking.
Lovely Pete.
The BF take a great favourite of mine.
Regards Thom
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Thom. Hard to beat Billie, but this is actually my favourite version.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Wonderful song 🙂 Thanks for sharing Pete 🙂 Anyway, keep up the great work as always 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, John. I haven’t been able to get it out of my head since posting this. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I didn’t realize the song was written in the 30’s.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Many of the songs we think of as ‘standards’ now were written for shows during the late 20s and early 30s. I think I was born at the wrong time. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I often feel that way. I should have been a teenager in the 40’s. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
No matter who sang it, it is (insert appropriate slang for the age you are, for the word “fantastic”). Warmest regards, Theo
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Theo. A great song survives any version. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
Wow, someone is all musical, what happened here? You got a romantic dinner with your wife?? 😂😂😂 TEASING TIME IS OPEN!!!! welcome to hell. 😁😁
LikeLiked by 1 person
No romantic dinner at all, honey. Just a love for songs from the 1930s, and a sucker for a sentimental ballad, always. 🙂 🙂
(This one is actually very sad and reflective)
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I thought you getting into songs is because you got romance fever. It’s very common in boys whose name is Pete and is the owner of ollie named dogs. I heard it. It’s actually pretty nice. But think once again maybe you got romance fever. 😈😜
LikeLiked by 1 person
I might have to go to a Romance Doctor to get that cured! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, you need to go to Juliet’s father to get cured. That guy hated romance. 😤😤 I couldn’t watch the movie without huffing and puffing at his stupidity. 😤😡 man, Shakespeare wrote some good amount of drama. 😂 have you watched Romeo and Juliet?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have seen a few versions of that story. If you mean the one called Romeo+Juliet directed by Baz Luhrmann, I didn’t like it. 🙂 🙂
LikeLike
I grew up listening to the “oldies” and I love them all!!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Me too, GP. Every time! 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I seem to know all sorts of songs from before I was born. My grandfather had a vast record collection and my mother played all different music too. I have memorized many from listening. Most amusing always as a kid was Gilbert and Sullivan. I love the song you featured here.
LikeLiked by 1 person
When I was around 13 years old, I started to look back at the songs of the 20s and 30s. My Dad worked in the record business, so I had easy access. This song became a huge favourite of mine, as did ‘Anything Goes’, and most of the Astaire/Rogers songbook too.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Beautiful song and I like this cover of it.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I had his covers album with this on it. Unusually, I preferred it to many earlier versions, because of his approach to singing it.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Timeless song and Bryan Ferry had the voice for it, that’s for sure! Thanks for sharing Pete!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, John. Ferry had just the right tone for this, I reckon.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The sigh of midnight trains in empty stations
Silk stockings thrown aside dance invitations
Oh, how the ghost of you clings!
I particularly liked those lines.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I have loved that song all my life, it seems.
Thanks, David.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
A great song but a poor rendering I much prefer Sinatra.
It is a lyric of obsession and story goes that Eric Maschwitz
the author had an extramarital affair with the cabaret singer
Jean Ross.
How human obsession is and it grips us even from the distant past and just needs a little trigger to set it in motion.
Unlike animals we humans can project backwards and forwards in time , some claim it explains the common fear of death.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, FM. I like almost every version of this song, but thought it suited Bryan Ferry on this occasion.
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLike
I believe it was Same Cooke that sang this song…..Ferry does well….chuq
LikeLiked by 1 person
I mentioned above that Sam Cooke did record it, among others. I like Ferry’s voice on this version. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another cheery little number 🤣🤣 I do like Mr.Ferry singing it though!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think it is very much the perfect song for his voice. 🙂
Best wishes, Pete.
LikeLiked by 1 person