Only a Fool Would Say That

"Only a Fool Would Say That" is a song by the American rock band Steely Dan from their 1972 debut album Can't Buy a Thrill, written by Donald Fagen and Walter Becker.

"Only a Fool Would Say That"
Song by Steely Dan
from the album Can't Buy a Thrill
ReleasedNovember 1972
GenreSoft rock
Length2:57
LabelABC
Songwriter(s)Donald Fagen • Walter Becker
Producer(s)Gary Katz
Official audio
"Only a Fool Would Say That" on YouTube

Background

"Only a Fool Would Sat That" is a song with lyrics aimed at Beatles musician John Lennon.[1] In 2024 American Songwriter said that the lyrics were chiding Lennon for "being out of touch with reality."[2]

The track ends with the phrase "Solamente un tonto diría eso", Spanish for "only a fool would say that", spoken by Jeff "Skunk" Baxter.

Reception

Mojo magazine ranked it number 25 in their list of Steely Dan's 30 Greatest Songs.[3]

Personnel

Steely Dan

Production

Charts

Chart (2023) Peak
position
U.S. LyricFind (Billboard)[4] 6

References

  1. ^ "The one song Steely Dan wrote to attack John Lennon". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  2. ^ Hopper, Alex (2024-07-31). "Behind the Meaning of Steely Dan's Response to John Lennon, "Only a Fool Would Say That"". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  3. ^ "Steely Dan's 30 Greatest Songs Ranked". Mojo. 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
  4. ^ "Steely Dan". Billboard. 2021-11-18. Archived from the original on 2021-11-18. Retrieved 2024-09-16.