The song's music video was directed by Sophie Muller and features cameo appearances by Gwen Stefani and Melissa Auf der Maur.

[1][2] AllMusic's Matthew Greenwald described "April Fools" as "essentially a love song" that can be interpreted as being "about people in general, or a simple, two-person relationship".

[5] "April Fools" originally appeared as the third track on Wainwright's eponymous debut studio album, released by DreamWorks Records in the United States on May 19, 1998.

It features the singer in Los Angeles "amidst a clique of classic opera characters" such as Madame Butterfly, attempting to prevent each of them from committing suicide or being murdered.

[17][18] No Doubt's Gwen Stefani, a friend of Muller's, and Hole bassist Melissa Auf der Maur, a high school acquaintance and former roommate of Wainwright's, make cameo appearances.

[17]Matthew Greenwald of AllMusic described "April Fools" as "the most accessible song and recording" on the album, and "possibly one of the catchiest and most hook-filled choruses in contemporary pop memory".

"[1] Larry Flick, an editor for Billboard, selected the song as a "Critic's Choice", signifying a work that is "highly recommend[ed] because of their musical merit".