You took your coat off, stood in the rain
You're always crazy like that
And I watched from my window
Always felt I was outside looking in on you
You're always the mysterious one with
Dark eyes and careless hair
You were fashionably sensitive
But too cool to care
You stood in my doorway, with nothing to say
Besides some comment on the weather

Well, in case you failed to notice
In case you failed to see
This is my heart bleeding before you
This is me down on my knees

And these foolish games are tearing me apart
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart
You're breaking my heart

You were always brilliant in the morning
Smoking your cigarettes and talking over coffee
Your philosophies on art, Baroque moved you
You loved Mozart and you'd speak of your loved ones
As I clumsily strummed my guitar

You'd teach me of honest things
Things that were daring, things that were clean
Things that knew what an honest dollar did mean
I hid my soiled hands behind my back
Somewhere along the line, I must have gone off track with you

Excuse me
Think I've mistaken you for somebody else
Somebody who gave a damn
Somebody more like myself

And these foolish games are tearing me
You're tearing me, you're tearing me apart
And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart
You're breaking my heart

And you took your coat off, stood in the rain
You're always crazy like that


Lyrics submitted by Ice, edited by MyQualia

Foolish Games Lyrics as written by Jewel Kilcher

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Royalty Network, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Downtown Music Publishing

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Foolish Games song meanings
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69 Comments

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  • +11
    General Comment

    this song is so amazing.

    to me its about falling for that boy. you know. the artistic, deep, feeling one who writes you poems and smokes between classes and appreciates little things. and you make him out to be something beautiful but in reality hes self consumed and heartless. he makes you feel inferior.

    ssslowlikehoneyon March 28, 2006   Link
  • +9
    General Comment

    My mom played this song, and the whole album actually, a lot when her and my dad got a divorce. I always tie this song back to that time in my life, it was hard for our entire family, as all divorces are. But after becoming an adult, and really listening to the lyrics for what they are, I get a completely different feel for this song. I used to believe it was about an ending to a bitter sweet relationship. But I now think its about the continuation of a bitter sweet relationship, which can be far worse. The woman the song is about is infatuated with this man, she puts him on this pedestal of importance. She recognizes that there are problems in the relationship, but she cant stand the thought of actually letting him and the relationship go. She talks about him like he is an older man, maybe a missing father figure she always wanted. She certainly doesnt feel like she deserves to be in a relationship with this man. The way that Jewel sings this song is astonishing. Some people said her voice doesnt sound pretty, I think its meant to not sound "pretty". She sounds like she is on the brink of breaking down, and I think its beautiful. There is so much depth in her voice, so much pain. Its beautiful.

    amandaamarettoon October 18, 2011   Link
  • +4
    My Opinion

    I think this song is about someone that is completely enthralled with someone you connect with on a deeper level than you ever have with anyone else before, and that person possibly don't know her feelings yet (or has reasons to keep her at bay), and she is dealing with the raw emotions of how he makes her feel. For some reason, she can't just spill on him and tell him how she really feels, and this frustrates her. There is something holding them back, but her heart is racing out of control, longing for something he gives her. Something she has waited her whole life for, but her lack of confidence in the situation leaves her to question whether what she feels is real, or whether he has the same feelings. I think this whole song is an interpersonal battle of emotions. This person leaves her feeling vulnerable, unsure, scared at what the possibility of the rest of her life looks like without him in it, but has no choice but to keep going on. She lashes out (You were too cool to care) because the energy needed to go somewhere. What a beautiful, and meaningful song.

    mikefromwion October 05, 2014   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    I suppose I'm the only one who happens to think that this song is referring to a father-figure. It sounds like she admires him, but he doesn't really show appreciation for her. And because she talks about how brilliant he is and him teaching her about his philosophies of life and views on art, it also makes me think it's someone much older. Um...the part where she's like, "you teach me of honest things...things that were daring things, that were clean...things I knew what an honest dollar did mean. I hid my soiled hands behind my back..." I'm thinking that he's a pure person who is teaching her to be the same, and she's sinned and she's trying to hide those sins (soiled hands) from him.

    PrincessBettinaon August 05, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    Jewel is an amazing singer. she really is beautiful too. The way she expresses her feelings is amazing and very true. She sings about things that don't only(orcould) happen to her but also to her fans. I think she is just soo amazing and so real. This song really makes her shine brighter. No other artist can compare to her.. Foolish games .. to me means that U might be in love ( or (think) ur in love with a person that is totally not ur type and doesn't understand you at all. It's like the guy doesn't know love or how to love.. maybe.

    RockerDI04on May 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    this song is truly beautiful. her voice... the lyrics... the music... it's really heart-breaking. I LOVE this song, because it's one of those songs that express exactly how I feel. it's like she's in love with him, but for him it's all casual and just a game and their just playing games with each other's hearts (or maybe just that he's playing games with her heart) but she loves him and that's tearing up her heart that he's so insensitive of her feelings, that he doesn't feel the same.

    no_angelon May 27, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    when this song first came out when i was a lot younger... the song never really had an affect on me. now as i'm older i can totally relate with the lyrics... my best friend that i've had a crush on the last couple years... totally is like the person jewel is describing. someone that only cares for himself but when he needs something or someone will turn to that person to get what he wants. my friend does this to me and all though he is sometimes a good guy... his 'foolish games' are tearing me apart. anyways... this is how the song relates to me and i hope this makes sense!

    Smithers1511on July 09, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is deff. my favorite Jewel song .. it's brillant. It has so much depth and meaning that it's almost unbelieveable. It's about one of the reletionships that you love .. but also at times love to hate. Jewel would deff. have to be one of my idols now that i'm learning the guitar

    JewelsAreForeveron June 16, 2004   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This is a really beautiful song. Even after 10 years, I can't get over it. Sometimes I feel like the guy in this song, in the sense that I'm often selfish and self-indulgent. But hey, aren't all the girls who relate this song to themselves and their own lives being self-indulgent too?

    wesblueon August 05, 2007   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation

    Looking at the lyrics through my own point of view as the "nice guy" I've always felt this song was sort of reverse friend zone of sorts. The woman in the song seems to have this infatuation with a guy who's clearly around quite a bit, but then when you get to the chorus she says she's mistaken him for someone who cared. All in all it feels very much like a situation of one side of a friendship wishing to become more while the other is not.

    Ravencrosson July 08, 2015   Link

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