‘Fooled Around and Fell in Love’ is a song written and performed by blues guitarist Elvin Bishop with Mickey Thomas on lead vocals. It appeared on his 1975 album Struttin' My Stuff, and was released as a single the following year. Bishop does not sing lead vocals on the track. He felt that his gravelly voice would not do the song justice; he invited vocalist Mickey Thomas, who was a background singer in his band at the time, to sing it. It peaked at #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart in May 1976. The record was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America on June 23, 1976. In Canada, the song reached #22 on the singles chart and #8 on the Adult Contemporary chart. The single reached #3 in the New Zealand Singles Chart.
In a Songfacts interview with Elvin Bishop, he explained: "My voice is very plain. It's better suited for blues. It's been good for me, because it's made my songwriting strong, because to really get over with a voice like mine, which is not a thrill in itself - the quality of the voice - you have to have a strong story and really good words to capture people's imagination.”
He continued; “And that tune, I gave it a try. The producer, Bill Szymczyk, said, 'We need one more piece of material here. You got anything else laying around?' I said, 'Well, there's this tune I wrote the other day.' Well, not the other day. I'd actually tried to get a couple of other people to sing it, but somehow it didn't work out. I said, 'How about this 'Fooled Around and Fell In Love'?' We cut a track, it was a really nice track. I tried singing it, and I said, 'That's not buttering my biscuit, my vocal on this. Why don't we give Mickey a shot at this?' And the producer said, 'Well, that's big of you.' And I said, 'Well, I don't think so. It's just common sense, you know?' And Mickey just tore it up."
Many younger listeners discovered this song when it was used in the 2014 film Guardians of The Galaxy and included on the soundtrack, which went to #1 in America. In the film, Chris Pratt plays it to seduce Zoe Saldana. "The melody is pleasant," she says, before pulling a knife on him, refusing to succumb to his "pelvic sorcery."
Label – Capricorn
Songwriter – Elvin Bishop
Producer – Bill Szymczyk
SONG LYRICS
[Verse 1]I must have been through about a million girls
I'd love 'em then I'd leave 'em alone
I didn't care how much they cried, no sir
Their tears left me cold as a stone
[Chorus]
But then I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
Fooled around and fell in love
[Verse 2]
It used to be when I'd see a girl that I liked
I'd get out my book and write down her name
But when the grass got a little greener on the other side
I'd just tear out that page
[Chorus]
But then I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love, since I met you, baby
I fooled around and fell in love
I fooled around and fell in love
[Post-Chorus]
Ooh
Oh
Oh
[Guitar Solo]
[Verse 3]
Free on my own, that's the way I used to be
But since I met you, baby, love's got a hold on me
(Fooled around and fell in love)
Ooh, it's got a hold on me now, yeah
(Fooled around and fell in love)
I can't let go of you, baby
(Fooled around and fell in love)
I can't stop lovin' you now
(Fooled around and fell in love)
Hey
[Outro]
'Cause I fooled around, I fooled around, I fooled around, I fooled around
I fooled around, I fooled around, and I fell in love
I fooled around, I fooled around, yes I did, I fooled around
I fooled around (And I fell in love), I fooled around
'Cause I fooled around, and I fell in love
I fooled around
I fooled around, and I fell in love
Some of you know what I am trying to say