“What A Fool Believes” is a single from Aretha Franklin’s self-titled 1980 Arista Records debut album Aretha (not to be confused with her 1986 album for Arista also titled Aretha).
This funked-up cover of The Doobie Brothers' hit was produced by Arif Mardin and bears many of the sonic fingerprints...
[Verse 1]
He came from somewhere back in her long ago
The sentimental fools don’t see trying 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, hey, only to realize
It never really was
[Chorus]
He had a place in her life
She never made him think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He’s watching her go
And what a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power, oh yeah, to reason away, now
What seems to be
Is always better than nothing, oh yeah
Nothing at all, nothing at all
[Verse 2]
Keeps sending him somewhere back in her long ago
He can still believe there’s a place in her life
Hey, someday, somewhere, she will return
[Chorus]
He had a place in her life, oh oh
She never made him think twice
As he rises to her apology
Anybody else would surely know
He’s watching her go, oh yeah
What a fool believes, he sees
No wise man has the power, oh yeah, to reason away, yeah
And what seems to be
Is always better than nothing, oh oh oh oh oh yeah
Nothing at all, nothing at all
[Bridge]
Oh, oh, oh, oh, oh
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now (Whoop!)
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now (Whoop!)
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now
Get the funk, get it now (Whoop!)
Get the funk, get it now
[Outro]
(What a fool believes, he sees) uh, uh
(No wise man has the power) no wise man has the power
(To reason away) oh, to reason away, yeah
(What a fool believes, he sees) what a fool believes, oh, he sees
No wise man has the power
To reason away, yeah, yeah
(What a fool believes, he sees)
What a Fool Believes was written by Kenny Loggins & Michael McDonald.
What a Fool Believes was produced by Arif Mardin.
Aretha Franklin released What a Fool Believes on Tue Sep 30 1980.