Released: June 18, 1976
Songwriter: Rod Stewart
Producer: Tom Dowd
[Intro]
Hey baby
I gotta leave ya
[Verse 1]
By the time you read this letter, I'll be outta your life
Gone forever more but guess I'll survive
I'm gonna leave my records and a forwarding address
Ain't you glad, honey, that I'm off of your chest?
You said you wanted Paris, Rome and St. Tropez
Perfume by Chanel and a ring by Cartier
But I gave you headaches with my old fashioned ways
But that's all irrelevant to what I'm tryin' to say
[Chorus]
I'm a fool for you, baby
Pride won't let me stay
I'm a fool for you, honey
And I'll come back any day
I guess I'll always love you all my life
Hey baby
[Verse 2]
You can keep your Streisands, Bardots and Lorens
You're my everything but now you're my end
It may be over but just before I go
I can make a new start but I can't mend a broken heart
So when I read about you in all the national press
On the arm of so and so, I may get depressed
'Cause I tried to love you but didn't fit in
I came on the dust, I'll leave on the wind
[Chorus]
I'm a fool for you, baby
My pride won't let me stay
I'm a fool for you, honey
I'll come back any day
I'm a fool for you, baby
I don't care what your friends say
I'm a fool for you, honey
And that's the way I'll stay
I guess I'll always love you all my life
[Outro]
So long, baby
Hey baby
I gotta leave ya
[Verse 1]
By the time you read this letter, I'll be outta your life
Gone forever more but guess I'll survive
I'm gonna leave my records and a forwarding address
Ain't you glad, honey, that I'm off of your chest?
You said you wanted Paris, Rome and St. Tropez
Perfume by Chanel and a ring by Cartier
But I gave you headaches with my old fashioned ways
But that's all irrelevant to what I'm tryin' to say
[Chorus]
I'm a fool for you, baby
Pride won't let me stay
I'm a fool for you, honey
And I'll come back any day
I guess I'll always love you all my life
Hey baby
[Verse 2]
You can keep your Streisands, Bardots and Lorens
You're my everything but now you're my end
It may be over but just before I go
I can make a new start but I can't mend a broken heart
So when I read about you in all the national press
On the arm of so and so, I may get depressed
'Cause I tried to love you but didn't fit in
I came on the dust, I'll leave on the wind
[Chorus]
I'm a fool for you, baby
My pride won't let me stay
I'm a fool for you, honey
I'll come back any day
I'm a fool for you, baby
I don't care what your friends say
I'm a fool for you, honey
And that's the way I'll stay
I guess I'll always love you all my life
[Outro]
So long, baby
more tracks from the album
Trilogy: Three Classic Albums
- I Don’t Want to Talk About It
- It’s Not the Spotlight
- How Long
- The Killing of Georgie, Pts. 1 & 2
- The Wild Side of Life
- Stone Cold Sober
- Three Time Loser
- Pretty Flamingo
- Only a Boy
- Tora, Tora, Tora (Out with the Boys)
- Trade Winds
- All in the Name of Rock ‘N’ Roll
- Fool for You
- Sonny
- Never Give Up On a Dream
- Alright for an Hour
- Sailing
- Young Turks
- Tear It Up
- Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
- Drift Away
- Tonight I’m Yours (Don’t Hurt Me)
- This Old Heart of Mine
- Still Love You
- Big Bayou
- The First Cut Is the Deepest
- The Balltrap
- Just Like a Woman
- Jealous
From the albums
- A Night on the Town (Deluxe Edition) (1976)
- A Night on the Town (1976)
- Trilogy: Three Classic Albums (2005)
Rod Stewart popular songs
- I Don’t Want to Talk About It
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy?
- Young Turks
- Maggie May
- Forever Young
- Love Is
- Sailing
- Handbags & Gladrags
- Da Ya Think I’m Sexy? (Remix)
- Maggie May (Live)
- Faith of the Heart
- Tonight’s the Night (Gonna Be Alright)
- Every Picture Tells a Story
- Have I Told You Lately
- Didn’t I
- Baby Jane
- You’re in My Heart (The Final Acclaim)
- The First Cut Is the Deepest
- When I Need You
- Downtown Train
- Rhythm of My Heart
- Hot Legs
- Ruby Tuesday
- Love Minus Zero/No Limit