Foolish Games

"Foolish Games" is a song by American singer-songwriter Jewel from her debut studio album Pieces of You (1995). It was also the third single to be lifted from the Batman & Robin motion picture soundtrack. Jewel re-recorded the single for the soundtrack to produce a more radio-friendly version, similar to her other singles "Who Will Save Your Soul" and "You Were Meant for Me". This version is shorter than the album version by one verse. The song details the frustration and agony of knowing that the intensity of one's love is not reciprocated by one's lover.

"Foolish Games"
Single by Jewel
from the album Pieces of You and Batman & Robin
B-side"Angel Needs a Ride" "Everything Breaks"
ReleasedJuly 8, 1997 (1997-07-08)
Recorded1994
GenrePop
Length
  • 5:39 (album version)
  • 4:02 (radio edit)
LabelAtlantic
Songwriter(s)Jewel Kilcher
Producer(s)Peter Collin
Jewel singles chronology
"You Were Meant for Me"
(1996)		 "Foolish Games"
(1997)		 "Morning Song"
(1998)
Audio sample
"Foolish Games"
  • file
  • help
Music video
"Foolish Games" on YouTube

A CD single for the song was not issued in the United States. However, a re-released version of the "You Were Meant for Me" CD single had a hidden bonus track of the single version of "Foolish Games". Because of this, instead of debuting and charting on the chart in the traditional way, "Foolish Games" was able to continue the chart life of "You Were Meant for Me". The latter, which was on its 41st week on the chart at number 25, rebounded to number 12 as "Foolish Games", eventually peaking at number 7 eight weeks later. Despite this, Billboard counted the two singles as one, and such, "Foolish Games" was also listed for peaking at number two, despite the song never actually peaking at that position, thanks to the peak of the second single.[1] "Foolish Games/You Were Meant for Me" was listed as the second best-performing song of 1997 by Billboard, behind Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997".

"Foolish Games"/"You Were Meant for Me" ranked at number 15 on Billboard's All Time Top 100[2] and held the record in the Guinness Book of World Records for longest chart run of a single for "Foolish Games"/"You Were Meant for Me", which charted for 65 weeks. This record was later surpassed by "How Do I Live" by LeAnn Rimes, also in 1997 and 1998 with 69 weeks, and "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz in 2008 and 2009 with 76 weeks, and then "Sail" by Awolnation at 79 weeks and "Radioactive" by Imagine Dragons at 87 weeks in 2013 and 2014. Jewel was also nominated for Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance for this song.

The song is featured on Jewel's Greatest Hits as a duet with Kelly Clarkson.

Critical reception

Stephen Thomas Erlewine from AllMusic described the song as "superior".[3] Chuck Taylor from Billboard stated that it is the "quintessential musical moment" of the Pieces of You album. He wrote that "the vocally sweeping ballad offers the richest arrangement among her hits, with lyrics that affectingly express the emotional descent of a woman whose love is unappreciated, perhaps even unseen, by her object of affection."[4] The magazine also noted that "this piano-anchored ballad places the singer/songwriter in a setting that is almost orchestral and far more lush than those of her previous hits."[5] The Daily Vault said "Foolish Games" "works because of the wailing chorus both tired and yearning."[6] David Browne from Entertainment Weekly compared Jewel to British singer Kate Bush on the track, in his review.[7] Australian music channel Max placed the song at number 503 in their list of "1000 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2011.[8] Ed Masley from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette described it as an "emotional ballad" with a "chilling climax".[9] Sal Cinquemani from Slant called it "a female-centric take" on Leonard Cohen's "Famous Blue Raincoat", and noted that "Foolish Games" "remains one of the great pop songs of the '90s, buoyed by the singer's impeccably wrenching vocal performance."[10]

Track listing

US promo

  1. "Foolish Games" (radio edit)

European CD single

  1. "Foolish Games" (radio edit)
  2. "Angel Needs a Ride"
  3. "Everything Breaks"

Charts

Certifications
Region CertificationCertified units/sales
Australia (ARIA)[32] Gold 35,000^

^shipments figures based on certification alone

References
  1. "Chart Beat Chat".
  2. "Top 100 Music Hits, Top 100 Music Charts, Top 100 Songs & The Hot 100". Billboard.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
  3. Erlewine, Stephen Thomas. "Jewel – Pieces of You". AllMusic. Retrieved November 18, 2020.
  4. "Jewel Of A Single From 'Pieces Of You'". Billboard. June 21, 1997. p. 78. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  5. "Single Reviews" (PDF). Billboard. July 19, 1997. p. 88. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  6. "Pieces Of You – Jewel". The Daily Vault. May 1, 1997. Retrieved November 20, 2020.
  7. "Single Reviews". Entertainment Weekly. August 15, 1997. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  8. "TOP 1000 GREATEST SONGS OF ALL TIME – 2011". Max. 2011. Retrieved April 26, 2020.
  9. "Lilith's songstresses give their sensitive best". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. August 14, 1997. Retrieved March 17, 2020.
  10. Cinquemani, Sal (February 16, 2013). "Review: Jewel, Greatest Hits". Slant. Retrieved March 23, 2020.
  11. "Australian-charts.com – Jewel – Foolish Games". ARIA Top 50 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  12. "Ultratop.be – Jewel – Foolish Games" (in Dutch). Ultratip.
  13. "Top RPM Singles: Issue 3342." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  14. "Top RPM Adult Contemporary: Issue 3363." RPM. Library and Archives Canada.
  15. "Nederlandse Top 40 – week 52, 1997" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40 Retrieved July 18, 2019.
  16. "Dutchcharts.nl – Jewel – Foolish Games" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  17. "Charts.nz – Jewel – Foolish Games". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  18. "Jewel Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  19. "Jewel Chart History (Adult Contemporary)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  20. "Jewel Chart History (Adult Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  21. "Jewel Chart History (Pop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved August 31, 2010.
  22. "Jewel Chart History (Rhythmic)". Billboard. Retrieved May 16, 2014.
  23. "ARIA Charts – End Of Year Charts – Top 100 Singles 1997". ARIA. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  24. "RPM '97 Year End Top 100 Adult Contemporary Tracks". RPM. Library and Archives Canada. Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  25. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1997" (in Dutch). Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  26. "Billboard Top 100 – 1997". Archived from the original on June 11, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  27. "Top 100-Jaaroverzicht van 1998". Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 8, 2020.
  28. "Jaaroverzichten – Single 1998" (in Dutch). Retrieved April 15, 2018.
  29. "Billboard Top 100 – 1998". Archived from the original on March 9, 2009. Retrieved August 28, 2010.
  30. Geoff Mayfield (December 25, 1999). 1999 The Year in Music Totally '90s: Diary of a Decade – The listing of Top Pop Albums of the '90s & Hot 100 Singles of the '90s. Billboard. Retrieved October 15, 2010.
  31. "Billboard Hot 100 60th Anniversary Interactive Chart". Billboard. Retrieved December 10, 2018.
  32. "ARIA Charts – Accreditations – 1997 Singles". Australian Recording Industry Association. Archived from the original on August 10, 2020. Retrieved July 18, 2019.
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