Songwriter: Michael McDonald Kenny Loggins
Producer: Ted Templeman
"What a Fool Believes" is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The Doobie Brothers (with McDonald singing lead vocals) s from their 1978 album Minute by Minute. Debuting at number 73 on January 20, 1979, the single reached number one on the US Billboard Hot 100 on April 14, 1979 for one week. The song received Grammy Awards in 1980 for both Song of the Year and Record of the Year. Read more on Last.fm.
Length: 3:39
[Verse 1]
He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize it never really was
[Pre-Chorus]
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
[Chorus]
But what a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
Than nothing at all
[Verse 2]
Keeps sending him somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere
She will return
[Pre-Chorus]
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
[Chorus]
But what a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
(If love can come and love can go, then why can't love return once more?)
Is always better than nothing
(Who got the power?)
Than nothing at all (Oh, now)
What a fool believes
(I believe she's never gone away) he sees
No wise man has the power (to reason away)
To reason away
What seems to be
(Oh, if love can come and love can go, oh, mama)
Is always better than nothing (better than nothing)
Than nothing at all (oh, I believe)
He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fool don't see
Tryin' hard to recreate
What had yet to be created once in her life
She musters a smile for his nostalgic tale
Never coming near what he wanted to say
Only to realize it never really was
[Pre-Chorus]
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
[Chorus]
But what a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing
Than nothing at all
[Verse 2]
Keeps sending him somewhere back in her long ago
Where he can still believe there's a place in her life
Someday, somewhere
She will return
[Pre-Chorus]
She had a place in his life
He never made her think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He's watching her go
[Chorus]
But what a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power to reason away
What seems to be
(If love can come and love can go, then why can't love return once more?)
Is always better than nothing
(Who got the power?)
Than nothing at all (Oh, now)
What a fool believes
(I believe she's never gone away) he sees
No wise man has the power (to reason away)
To reason away
What seems to be
(Oh, if love can come and love can go, oh, mama)
Is always better than nothing (better than nothing)
Than nothing at all (oh, I believe)
Apple music preview
From the albums
- Minute by Minute (1978)
- Farewell Tour (1983)
- The Allniter (1985)
- Sweet Freedom (1986)
- Music For Makin’ Love (1987)
- Frankie & Johnny (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1991)
- Grammy’s Greatest Moments, Volume II (1993)
- Only Rock ’N Roll 1975 - 1979 (1995)
- Rockin’ down the Highway: The Wildlife Concert (1996)
- Singers and Songwriters: 1978-1979 (2000)
- Ultimate Seventies: 1979 (2003)
- The Ultimate Collection (2005)
- Time Life Classic Soft Rock: Summer Breeze (2006)
- The Music of Grand Theft Auto V, Volume 1: Original Music (2013)
- Yacht Rock AOR (2015)
- Cuts (2016)
- Raedio Presents: Biden-Harris 2021 Official Inauguration Playlist (2021)
- Mellow 70's Gold (2021)
The Doobie Brothers popular songs