The Fool (Lee Ann Womack song)
Encyclopedia
"The Fool" is the title of a song written by Marla Cannon-Goodman, Gene Ellsworth, Charlie Stefl, and recorded by American
country
artist Lee Ann Womack
. It was released as the second single off of her self titled debut album
. The song peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, her first of four songs to just miss the top spot.
"The first time I played the demo, I just passed on it. I said, 'Yeah, it's a good song, but it's not 'Never Again Again."
, backed by piano, violin, and percussion. The narrator describes an encounter with a woman who once was in a relationship with her partner, revealing that he still has feelings for her.
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "It's impossible to say enough positive things about Womack. She delivers this tune about a woman confronting, with her heart in her throat, the other woman her man still loves. The vulnerability and honesty she conveys in each line showcase a true stylist breathing life into a poignant lyric. This song and performance embody the best qualities of the genre--raw emotion set to music. It's a powerful thing.
chart. The song peaked at #2 for the chart week of October 4, 1997, blocked from number one by Diamond Rio
's "How Your Love Makes Me Feel
".
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
artist Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack
Lee Ann Womack is an American country music singer and songwriter, who is best known for her old fashioned-styled country music songs that often discuss subjects such as cheating and lost love....
. It was released as the second single off of her self titled debut album
Lee Ann Womack (album)
Lee Ann Womack is the self-titled, 1997 debut album from country singer Lee Ann Womack. The album was certified gold by the RIAA on January 16, 1998 and platinum on September 24, 1999. Hits that appeared on the Billboard Hot Country Singles chart were "Never Again, Again" which peaked at #23, "The...
. The song peaked at #2 on the U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks (now Hot Country Songs) chart, her first of four songs to just miss the top spot.
Background
Womack told BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
"The first time I played the demo, I just passed on it. I said, 'Yeah, it's a good song, but it's not 'Never Again Again."
Content
"The Fool" is a slow balladBallad
A ballad is a form of verse, often a narrative set to music. Ballads were particularly characteristic of British and Irish popular poetry and song from the later medieval period until the 19th century and used extensively across Europe and later the Americas, Australia and North Africa. Many...
, backed by piano, violin, and percussion. The narrator describes an encounter with a woman who once was in a relationship with her partner, revealing that he still has feelings for her.
Music video
A music video was released for the song, directed by Gerry Wenner. In the video, Womack is shown sitting in a bar singing, accompanied by a band.Reception
Editors at BillboardBillboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
gave the song a positive review and wrote, "It's impossible to say enough positive things about Womack. She delivers this tune about a woman confronting, with her heart in her throat, the other woman her man still loves. The vulnerability and honesty she conveys in each line showcase a true stylist breathing life into a poignant lyric. This song and performance embody the best qualities of the genre--raw emotion set to music. It's a powerful thing.
Chart performance
"The Fool" became Womack's first top five single on Billboards Hot Country SongsHot Country Songs
Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States.This 60-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly mostly by airplay and occasionally commercial sales...
chart. The song peaked at #2 for the chart week of October 4, 1997, blocked from number one by Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio
Diamond Rio is an American Country music/Christian music band formed in 1984 in Nashville, Tennessee. Since its foundation, the group has comprised the same six members: Gene Johnson , Jimmy Olander , Brian Prout , Marty Roe , Dan Truman , and Dana Williams...
's "How Your Love Makes Me Feel
How Your Love Makes Me Feel
"How Your Love Makes Me Feel" is a song written by Trey Bruce and Max T. Barnes, and recorded by American country music group Diamond Rio that reached the top of the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart. It was released in May 1997 as the first single from their Greatest Hits album...
".
| Chart (1997) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks | 2 |
| Canadian RPM Country Singles | 5 |