Perhaps it’s the rainy weather here in Boston, but this week’s song of the week continues a succession of mellow songs performed by dynamic artists. The Pax Plena song of the weeks comes to you direct from modern crooner Michael Bublé and is titled Kissing a Fool.

One of the most redeeming qualities about the song is its smokey, lounge quality feel. Written by George Michael in the late 80s, the song takes listeners back to the dive bars and cramped stages of the Jazz age complete with soaring lyrics and sparse percussion. One can almost see tuxedo-clad men with a glass of scotch listening in on a summer’s evening.

The opening strains in the Bublé version, begin with a lead bass intro which is joined almost immediately in whisper by vocals. Bublé’s voice, however, is quick to showcase exactly why he is every bit the crooner he purports to be. Rest assured, in this song, the quietest sounds never become a bore. Bublé’s range is disparate, covering everything from the delicate lines preceding the opening chorus to the vibrant peak near the final repetition. Through its unique blend of instruments, trumpet, piano, and percussion most prominently, the score ably presents Bublé’s voice by striking a nice balance between accompaniment and instrumental musicality.

The song itself traverses a wide range of emotions from hope, to despair and ultimately toward faith in faith. But its theme is fairly well contained- love sought, love lost and the personal introspection which invariably follows. The central idea seems to be the inability of lovers to commit and specifically in the inability of one to withstand outside pressures for want of mutual matters of the heart.

The video below plays the song in its entirety. If you can over look the silly video on which someone has decided to affix the song, you’ll find the performance most enjoyable. Lyrics follow.

Kissing A Fool

You are far
When I could have been your star
You listened to people
Who scared you to death
And from my heart
Strange that you were strong enough
To even make a start
But you’ll never find
Peace of mind
Till you listen to your heart

People
You can never change the way the feel
Better let them do just what they will
For they will
If you let them
Steal your heart from you
People
Will always make a lover feel the fool
But you knew I loved you
We could have shown them all
We should have seen love through

Fooled me with the tears in your eyes
Covered me with kisses and lies
So bye
But please don’t take my heart

You are far
I’m never gonna be your star
I’ll pick up the pieces
And mend my heart
Strange that I was wrong enough
To think you’d love me too
You must have been were kissing a fool
You must have been kissing a fool

But remember this
Every other kiss
That you’ll ever give
Long as we both live
When you need the hand of another man
One you really can surrender with
I will wait for you
Like I always do
There’s something there
That can’t compare with any other

You are far
When I could have been your star
You listened to people
Who scared you to death
And from my heart
Strange that I was wrong enough
To think you’d love me too
You must have been kissing a fool
You must have been kissing a fool

You must have been kissing a fool