About The Song
“Foolin'” is a 1983 single by English heavy metal band Def Leppard from their diamond album Pyromania. When released as a single later that year, it reached #9 on the Mainstream Rock chart and #28 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
Cash Box said “Foolin'” has “structural similarities to [earlier Def Leppard single] ‘Photograph’ and follows in that single’s skillful pop blend of melodicism and metallicism.” Ultimate Classic Rock described the song as a “mid-tempo rocker”.
The music video was shot in June 1983 at the Ritz Theatre in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and directed by David Mallet. The video shows Elliott escaping from his evil girlfriend in a fantasy sequence, interspersed with scenes of the band performing on a concert stage. It features Billy Idol’s then-girlfriend Perri Lister playing the harp with her eyes closed. On the video compilation Historia, the text commentary before this video states, “Indeed, a face without eyes”, a pun on Idol’s song “Eyes Without a Face”. There is also a rare “Performance Only” version of the video, which focuses solely on the concert scenes. This version was briefly shown during the Ultimate Albums episode of the making of Pyromania in 2002.
Video
Lyrics
Lady luck never smiles
So lend your love to me awhile
Do with me what you will
Break the spell take your fill
On and on we rode the storm
The flame has died and the fire has gone
Oh, this empty bed is a night alone
I realized that long ago
Is anybody out there, anybody there
Does anybody wonder, anybody care
Oh, I just gotta know
If you’re really there and you really care
‘Cause baby I’m not
F-f-f-foolin’, ah f-f-foolin’
F-f-f-foolin’, ah f-f-foolin’
Won’t you stay with me awhile
Close your eyes don’t run and hide
Easy love is no easy ride
Just wakin’ up from what we had
Could stop good love from going bad
Is anybody out there, anybody there
Does anybody wonder, anybody care
Oh, I just gotta to know
If you’re really there and you really care
‘Cause baby I’m not
F-f-f-foolin’, ah f-f-foolin’
F-f-f-foolin’, ah f-f-foolin’
Oh, I just gotta to know
If you’re really there and you really care
‘Cause baby I’m not
F-f-f-foolin’, ah f-f-foolin’
Not f-f-f-foolin’, ah, no
I’m not foolin’ myself
Foolin’ myself
Not, no, no, (foolin’ myself)
I’m not, no (I’m not foolin’ myself)
I’m not foolin’
I’m not foolin’ myself (no)