"Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" is a song written by Bill Anderson and released as a single by American

country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. It may be a sovereign state or make up one part of a larger state. For example, the country of Japan is an independent, sovereign state, while the ...

artist

Connie Smith Connie Smith (born Constance June Meador; August 14, 1941) is an American country music singer and songwriter. Her contralto vocals have been described by music writers as significant and influential to the women of country music. A similarity h ...

. It was the second single spawned from her 1966 album ''

Miss Smith Goes to Nashville ''Miss Smith Goes to Nashville'' is the third studio album by American country singer Connie Smith. It was released in March 1966 by RCA Victor and contained 12 tracks. The album contained original material including several tracks penned by Smith' ...

'' and was produced by Bob Ferguson. The single was released in January 1966 by

RCA Victor RCA Records is an American record label currently owned by Sony Music Entertainment, a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America. It is one of Sony Music's four flagship labels, alongside RCA's former long-time rival Columbia Records; also Aris ...

and peaked within the Top 5 on the ''

Billboard Magazine ''Billboard'' (stylized as ''billboard'') is an American music and entertainment magazine published weekly by Penske Media Corporation. The magazine provides music charts, news, video, opinion, reviews, events, and style related to the music ...

'' country music singles chart, becoming her fifth Top 10 hit in a row.

Background and content

"Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" was the fourth single Smith recorded by Bill Anderson. The song was recorded October 14, 1965 along with the songs, "Same as Mine", "I'll Never Get Over Loving You", and "Holdin' On". The recording sessions featured

The Nashville A-Team The Nashville A-Team was a nickname given to a group of session musicians in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, who earned wide acclaim in the 1950s, 1960s, and early 1970s. They backed dozens of popular singers, including Elvis Presley, Eddy Arnold, Pats ...

of musicians, including

Hargus "Pig" Robbins Hargus Melvin Robbins (January 18, 1938 – January 30, 2022), known by his nickname "Pig," was an American session keyboard player. Having played on records for many artists, including John Stewart, Dolly Parton, Connie Smith, Patti Page, Lore ...

Kenneth Buttrey Aaron Kenneth Buttrey (April 1, 1945 – September 12, 2004) was an American drummer and arranger. According to CMT, he was "one of the most influential session musicians in Nashville history". Buttrey was born in Nashville, Tennessee, became a ...

, and

Walter Haynes Walter Haynes (December 14, 1928 – January 1, 2009) was an American steel guitarist and music producer who worked with such artists as Patsy Cline Jimmy Dickens, Del Reeves, The Everly Brothers and Jeanne Pruett. He also co-wrote a number ...

. The song's lyrics describes how a woman is angered how her lover has cheated on her and she angrily says back to him, "nobody but a fool would love you". The song's chorus further describes the setting and situation: :''Nobody but a fool would love you after the way you done me'' :''Broke ev'ry vow you made me broke ev'ry rule'' :''Who'd lie awake all night cry till you were out of sight'' :''Lovin' you with all of her might nobody but a fool'' "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" has been covered by other artists. In June 1966 country artist

Kitty Wells Ellen Muriel Deason (August 30, 1919 – July 16, 2012), known professionally as Kitty Wells, was an American pioneering female country music singer. She broke down a barrier to women in country music with her 1952 hit recording "It Wasn't God W ...

recorded the song for her 1966 album, ''Country All the Way''. In August 1966,

Traditional Pop Traditional pop (also known as classic pop and pre-rock and roll pop) is Western culture, Western pop music that generally pre-dates the advent of rock and roll in the mid-1950s. The most popular and enduring songs from this era of music are known ...

artist

Dean Martin Dean Martin (born Dino Paul Crocetti; June 7, 1917 – December 25, 1995) was an American singer, actor and comedian. One of the most popular and enduring American entertainers of the mid-20th century, Martin was nicknamed "The King of Cool". M ...

recorded a version of the song as well. Smith also is featured performing

guitar The guitar is a fretted musical instrument that typically has six strings. It is usually held flat against the player's body and played by strumming or plucking the strings with the dominant hand, while simultaneously pressing selected stri ...

on the background of the song. "Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" was reviewed by ''

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'' and was given a positive review. The website considered the song to have an "interesting melody" and the tempo to be "brisk". It later states, "Although it has a fast beat, the words are very sad. Nothing is like having your heart ripped open and feeling like you will never love again, but Connie makes it sound easy." No review was provided by other websites.

Chart performance

"Nobody But a Fool (Would Love You)" was Connie Smith's fifth single released. It was issued in January 1966 and debuted on the charts shortly afterward, becoming a Top 10 hit, peaking at #4 on the ''

Hot Country Songs Hot Country Songs is a chart published weekly by ''Billboard'' magazine in the United States. This 50-position chart lists the most popular country music songs, calculated weekly by collecting airplay data from Nielsen BDS along with digital sal ...

chart later in the year. It became Smith's fifth Top 10 hit in a row and also her fourth Top 10 hit written by Bill Anderson. It would be a series of Top 10 country hits in a row between 1964 and 1968.

Charts

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nobody But A Fool (Would Love You) 1966 songs Connie Smith songs Songs written by Bill Anderson (singer) Song recordings produced by Bob Ferguson (musician) RCA Victor singles