Rock and Roll

At one time or another, someone’s played “love’s foolish game” with us. The song was written by Sharon Sheeley, who was fifteen years old at the time. (During her career, her songs were also recorded by Eddie Cochran, Glen Campbell, Brenda Lee, and Ritchie Valens.) Nelson recorded and released the song in 1958. This was the first # 1 song on the newly created Billboard Hot 100 Chart. “Poor Little Fool” also went to #3 on both the Country & Western and the R&B Charts.

There were lots of TV actors who had charting records during this first era of rock and roll, including (to name a few) Johnny Crawford, Shelley Fabares, Paul Peterson, Annette Funicello, Connie Stevens, Edd “Kookie” Byrnes, and even Walter Brennan. A big star musician who emerged from TV is Ricky  Nelson. Eric Hilliard Nelson (aka Ricky Nelson and then Rick Nelson) had an amazing career as a singer, songwriter, instrumentalist , and actor. Besides his music, he’s best known for playing himself on the long-running television series The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet (1952-1966) as well as co-starring with John Wayne and Dean Martin in Howard Hawks’s western  film Rio Bravo (1959). Nelson has been inducted in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Rockabilly Hall of Fame. He also has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Here are the lyrics to “Poor Little Fool” by Ricky Nelson:

“I used to play around with hearts that hastened at my call
But when I met that little girl I knew that I would fall

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool, oh yeah)

She played around and teased me with her carefree devil eyes
She’d hold me close and kiss me but her heart was full of lies

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool, oh yeah)

She told me how she cared for me and that we’d never part
And so for the very first time I gave away my heart

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool, oh yeah)

The next day she was gone and I knew she’d lied to me
She left me with a broken heart, won her victory

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool, oh yeah)

But I’d played this game with other hearts but I never thought I’d see
The day when someone else would play love’s foolish game with me

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool, I was a fool, oh yeah)

Poor little fool, oh yeah, I was a fool, uh huh
(Uh huh, poor little fool)”

If you are interested in other songs by Ricky Nelson: “Hello Mary Lou,” “Lonesome Town,” “Travelin’ Man,” “String Along,” and “It’s Up to You.”

For More Golden Oldies Music

The Daily Doo Wop Rec Room has daily featured doo wop music, rock and roll hits, R&B, or rockabilly songs that were hits during the first era of rock and roll (that is, from about 1952 until the British invasion in 1964). After a song is featured, it then goes into the juke box. You are welcome to listen to any of the 40+ selections there. Every weekend, there is a Golden Oldies Juke Box Saturday Night, and the juke box is full of song requests from the 1950s and 1960s.

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