Jewel Kilcher wrote this song as a poem when she was 16 years old, when she first started keeping a serious journal. The Song is about the continuation of a bitter sweet relationship and someone that is completely enthralled with someone you connect with on a deeper level than you ever have with anyone else before. Maybe this person doesn’t know how she feels about him so she is dealing with the raw emotions of how he makes her feel which makes her frustrated. Her heart is racing out of control, longing for something he gives her. Something she has waited for her whole life, 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. She is infatuated with this her lover and puts him on this pedestal of importance recognizing that there are problems in this relationship, she talks about him like he is an older man, maybe a missing father figure she always wanted. She doesn’t feel like she deserves to be in a relationship with this man. The lyrics could be an interpersonal battle of Jewel’s emotions. Her lover leaves her feeling vulnerable, scared of the possibility of spending the rest of her life without him in it. She has no choice but to keep going on. Her voice sounds like she is on the brink of breaking down. There is so much depth in it, and so much pain.
Jewel said that this song is: “about a relationship that I was dramatically involved in on paper. I’m sure he knew nothing of it. A year later, it evolved into a song. I think the woman is looking at herself saying, ‘Why am I involved in a relationship where I’m selling myself so short?'” Like with her earlier song.
Release Date: July 8, 1997
Songwriter/s: Jewel Kilcher
Label: Atlantic
Chart Rankings: In the US, ‘Foolish Games’ topped the Adult Top 40, the Radio Songs charts and the Mainstream Top 40 charts. On the Billboard Hot 100 it peaked at number 2. The song topped the charts in Canada, reached number 12 in Australia, number 10 in Netherlands, number 8 in Belgium and peaked at number 23 in New Zealand.
Artist’s age on Release Date: Jewel Kilcher was 23 years old when she released this song.
Cover Versions: Duet with Kelly Clarkson (2013) – Amateur artists covered this song on Youtube.
Jennifer
July 14, 2020 at 12:40 pm
These lyrics hold so true to what I have experienced in my life with a certain man. I always felt like I was on the outside looking in. He was a love that I knew I couldn’t have, but was drawn to him and his beautiful ways. I wish him the best with her.