The Doobie Brothers - What A Fool Believes

What a Fool Believes is a song written by Michael McDonald and Kenny Loggins. The best-known version was recorded by The Doobie Brothers (with McDonald singing lead vocals) for their 1978 album Minute by Minute. Debuting at number 73 on January 20, 1979, the single reached number one on the 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. In 2024, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame.
The song was one of the few non-disco No. 1 hits on the Billboard Hot 100 during the first eight months of 1979.

Lyrics:
[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)