Only a Fool Would Say That

"Only a Fool Would Say That"
"Only a Fool Would Say That"
Song by Steely Dan
from the album Can't Buy a Thrill
A-side	"Reelin' In the Years"
Released	March 1973
Genre	Soft rock
Length	2:57
Label	ABC
Songwriter(s)	Donald Fagen • Walter Becker
Producer(s)	Gary Katz
Official audio
	"Only a Fool Would Say That" on YouTube

"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.

Background

"Only a Fool Would Say That" is a song with lyrics aimed at Beatles musician John Lennon.^[2] In 2024 American Songwriter said that the lyrics were chiding Lennon for "being out of touch with reality."^[3]

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

Release

"Only a Fool Would Say That" was released in March 1973 as the B-side to the single "Reelin' In the Years".^[4]

Reception

Mojo magazine ranked it number 25 in their list of Steely Dan's 30 Greatest Songs.^[5]

Personnel

Steely Dan

Jeff "Skunk" Baxter – guitar, pedal steel guitar, spoken Spanish
Walter Becker – electric bass guitar, backing vocals
Denny Dias – guitar
Donald Fagen – piano, electric piano, lead vocals
Jim Hodder – drums, percussion, backing vocals
David Palmer – co-lead vocals, backing vocals

Production

Gary Katz – producer
Roger Nichols – engineer
Tim Weston – assistant engineer
Doug Sax – mastering engineer

References

^ Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X
^ "The one song Steely Dan wrote to attack John Lennon". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-10-25.
^ 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.
^ Sweet, Brian (2018-08-16). Steely Dan: Reelin' in the Years. Omnibus Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-78759-129-5.
^ "Steely Dan's 30 Greatest Songs Ranked". Mojo. 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-25.

[1] Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN 0-89820-089-X

[2] "The one song Steely Dan wrote to attack John Lennon". faroutmagazine.co.uk. 2024-09-17. Retrieved 2024-10-25.

[3] 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.

[4] Sweet, Brian (2018-08-16). Steely Dan: Reelin' in the Years. Omnibus Press. p. 51. ISBN 978-1-78759-129-5.

[5] "Steely Dan's 30 Greatest Songs Ranked". Mojo. 2024-09-07. Retrieved 2024-10-25.

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v t e Steely Dan
Donald Fagen Walter Becker Jeff "Skunk" Baxter Denny Dias Jim Hodder David Palmer Royce Jones Michael McDonald Jeff Porcaro
Studio albums	Can't Buy a Thrill (1972) Countdown to Ecstasy (1973) Pretzel Logic (1974) Katy Lied (1975) The Royal Scam (1976) Aja (1977) Gaucho (1980) Two Against Nature (2000) Everything Must Go (2003)
Live albums	Alive in America (1995) Plush TV Jazz-Rock Party (2000) Marian McPartland's Piano Jazz with Steely Dan (2005) Northeast Corridor (2021)
Singles	"Dallas" "Do It Again" "Reelin' In the Years" "Show Biz Kids" "My Old School" "Rikki Don't Lose That Number" "Pretzel Logic" "Bad Sneakers" "Kid Charlemagne" "Peg" "Deacon Blues" "FM (No Static at All)" "Josie" "Hey Nineteen" "Time Out of Mind" "Cousin Dupree"
Album tracks	"Aja" "Any Major Dude Will Tell You" "Dirty Work" "Only a Fool Would Say That"
Compilations	Greatest Hits (1978) Steely Dan (1978) Gold (1982/91) A Decade of Steely Dan (1985) Reelin' In the Years (1985) Do It Again (1987) Citizen Steely Dan (1993) Then and Now (1993) Showbiz Kids (2000) The Definitive Collection (2006) Found Studio Tracks (2007)
Related articles	Discography Gary Katz Members Roger Nichols Yacht rock
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