Only a Fool Would Say That

"Only a Fool Would Say That"
US b-side vinyl label
Song by Steely Dan
from the album Can't Buy a Thrill
A-side	"Reelin' In the Years"
Released	March 1973 [1]
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 rumoured to mock John Lennon’s 1971 song "Imagine". ^[2] In 2024, American Songwriter claimed 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] The British broadcast service BBC called it "quintessential Dan: mellifluous yet mordant, easy on the ear but as caustic as any dissection of the American dream." ^[6]

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

Cover versions

• The American indie pop band Ivy released a cover version on their 2002 album Guestroom . ^[7]

References

1. Joel Whitburn's Top Pop Singles 1955–1990 - ISBN   0-89820-089-X
2. Casalena, Em (2024-11-22). "3 Times Steely Dan Caused a Stir With Fellow Musicians". American Songwriter. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
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.
6. Lester, Paul. "BBC - Music - Review of Steely Dan - Can't Buy a Thrill". www.bbc.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-05-22.
7. Dix, Noel (January 1, 2006). "Ivy - Guestroom". Exclaim! . Retrieved 2025-05-22.