Steely Dan Once Wrote a Song to Mock ‘Fool’ John Lennon
Like many artists in the 1970s, Steely Dan rose to prominence while following in the footsteps of John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr. The Beatles were a source of inspiration for the band. Still, they didn’t feel impressed by some of their actions after the band broke up. In 1972, they released a song that mocked Lennon’s brand of activism.
Steely Dan wrote a song about John Lennon
On his honeymoon with Yoko Ono, Lennon began engaging in bed-ins, a nonviolent form of protest in which Lennon and Ono sat in bed to promote peace. In 1971, Lennon released the song “Imagine.” In it, he detailed his vision for a better future.
The following year, Steely Dan released the song “Only a Fool Would Say That.” In it, they sing that Lennon’s vision for a peaceful future feels impossible.
“I heard it was you/ Talking ’bout a world where all is free/ It just couldn’t be/ And only a fool would say that.”
The song paints Lennon as a rich man who can dream about a better future, whereas most people just have to muddle through the present.
“You do his nine to five/ Drag yourself home half alive/ And there on the screen/ A man with a dream.”
Steely Dan initially took inspiration from John Lennon and The Beatles
While Steely Dan wrote a song mocking Lennon, they did admire The Beatles. They said that their decision to stop touring had a lot to do with the band.
“[T]he Beatles had not long before set the example of concentrating on records and not touring, and we were arrogant enough to follow their example,” singer Donald Fagen told Mojo Magazine in 1995 (per Far Out Magazine).
Fagen added that they even broke up shortly after they stopped touring, just as The Beatles had.
“Well, we split up shortly after too. We were following their example to the letter!” he said. “And now we’re back together, just like they are [referencing their work on The Beatles Anthology record]. We never make a move without consulting the Beatle Chronology.”
Paul Simon also disliked one of Lennon’s political songs
Paul Simon also took umbrage with one of Lennon’s more political songs. He wondered if Lennon’s activism was less about wanting to make the world a better place and more about wanting attention.
“First reaction, he strikes me as being very interested in being seen or heard,” Simon told Rolling Stone in 1974. “Then I have to think, ‘What is he doing? What is the purpose of it? Is his purpose to get publicity for himself? Is his purpose to advance a certain political thought?’ I don’t know what his motivations are. Many things he’s done, I think, have been pointless. Some have been in bad taste. Others have been courageous. I think he’s generally a well-intentioned guy. I don’t know, it’s not my style.”
He found Lennon’s song “Power to the People” to be in poor taste.
“It’s a poor record, a condescending record,” he said. “Like all of these cliche phrases. They’re dangerous. What does that mean – ‘Power to the People’? And who is he saying it to? Is he saying it to people who have any idea what it means? Isn’t it really a manipulative phrase? And since he’s picking it up, consciously aware that this is going to be broadcast over the airwaves, my question is, who is he manipulating and for what purpose?”
