Shirley Bassey - What Kind Of Fool Am I (1963 Recording) / Live with Anthony Newley (1961)

Details

Description

1963 / 1961

ABOUT this song:
"What Kind of Fool Am I?" is a popular song written by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newley and published in 1962. It was introduced by Anthony Newley in the musical Stop The World - I Want To Get Off. It comes at the end of Act Two to close the show.

This song was recorded whilst Newley was on the road with this production in the States, after it had flopped in the UK; Newley didn't appear in the UK show. By the time the cast reached New York, Tony Bennett had re-recorded the song; scored a hit, which saved and revived his own flagging career.

The song was a hit for Sammy Davis, Jr. in the year of its publication, peaking at #17 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and at #6 on the Billboard Easy Listening chart. It also won a Grammy Award for Song of the Year. In 1963 Shirley Bassey released this song as a Columbia Record single and her version reached #47 on the UK charts.


LYRICS:
What kind of fool am I
Who never fell in love
It seems that I'm the only one
that I have been thinking of

What kind of man is this?
An empty shell-
A lonely cell in which
an empty heart must dwell

What kind of lips are these
That lied with every kiss
That whispered empty words of love
that left me alone like this

Why can't I fall in love
Like any other man
And maybe then I'll know what kind of fool I am.

What kind of clown am I?
What do I know of life?
Why can't I cast away the mask of play
and live my life?

Why can't I fall in love
Till I don't give a damn
And maybe then
I'll know what kind of fool I am