The Philosophy of Modern Song: Poor Little Fool

Posted on November 7, 2025 by Tony Attwood

by Tony Attwood

This series of articles takes the songs that Bob Dylan discussed in his post-Nobel Prize book “The Philosophy of Modern Song” and looks at those songs individually, rather than reviewing Bob’s comments upon them.  And, just in case you have not had a chance to listen to the songs in question, at least one recording of each song is included in the article.

What is interesting for myself as author (even if for no one else) is that in a number of cases, the songs are new to me, and so I am starting from the outside when trying to understand why Bob chose each particular song.

Today however, it is the turn of “Poor Little Fool” performed by Ricky Nelson and written by Sharon Shealey; a song I do remember from years ago – although to be fair, it is so generic in its style, I may be thinking of something else.

Taking information from the LA Times I discover that Sharon Sheeley wrote the song while still a school student.  Sadly, I also read that she died aged 62 of complications after a cerebral haemorrhage.   Following the recording by Rick Nelson, it became a million-selling record.

The composer also featured in the 1960s TV rock ‘n’ roll series “Shindig!”   Although she wrote no more hits, it is said that “she remained an influential figure in rock circles in England and the United States in the 1960s.”  Although quite how or why, I don’t know.

It is reported that Sheeley wrote the song when she was 15 years old and was encouraged to continue her activity as a composer after she met Elvis Presley and had a short relationship with Don Everly.  She then asked Ricky Nelson to record the song, having, according to some reports, approached him after pretending her car had broken down.  The things these youngsters would get up to!

Interestingly (again, for me, if no one else) the backing vocals are by the Jordanaires, who of course worked on Elvis Presley records) and it went to number 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which had just been launched.   Cashbox magazine reviewed the song, calling it a “beautiful rock-a-ballad that should jump into the winners’ circle in short order”.

Listening to the song today, it sounds like a typical 1950s bubblegum song, except for one thing, in that it actually has five verses, with the chorus coming after each verse. and it has a moral – the singer says that he “played around” with the affections of girls and then one day the woman in the story played the trick back on him, and he is now hurt.

I am not suggesting that this is the first song that tells that simple story, but I do think this approach was more unusual than the “I love you,” type songs.

And in fact, to follow this line of thought, I found the Billboard list of top 50 singles for 1958, which of course, includes this song.   Reading through the list it is (again for me at least, if no one else) quite extraordinary how varied the songs are for that year.

The top three songs of that year, according to the chart, were  “Volare” by Domenico Modugno, “All I Have to Do Is Dream” by the Everly Brothers, and “Don’t” by Elvis Presley.  The only song that I happen to know and which appears to be in the same sort of zone as is “When” by the Kalin Twins, although there are a number of songs in the list that are no longer available for recall in my head.   (The intro below is in French but the recording is the English version).  It represents (at least to me) an utterly different world from the one we know today – and I think that was Bob’s point with the Philosophy book – there is a philosophy within modern song, but it is not one that we would be particularly inclined to embrace today.

Previously in this series

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