Slog - Comments on My First Failure Today http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today I just tried and failed to extract the exact meaning from the mysterious lines of "What A Fool Believes." What the hell is this song by the Doobie Brothers about? I will give it another shot after lunch. He came from somewhere back in her long ago The sentimental fool 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 Only to realize It never really was She had a place in his life He never made her... Copyright 2008 Tue, 22 May 2007 10:19:59 -0800 Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:14:07 -0800 http://www.movabletype.org/?v=3.34 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Comment by brandon he thought she loved him. she didn't. so now she's leaving.

]]> brandon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723033 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723033 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:34:10 -0800 Comment by Diana He liked her, she doesn't and didn't like him. He is nostalgic for his hope, and holds onto it as a substitute for a relationship.

]]> Diana http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723036 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723036 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:38:46 -0800 Comment by Sally Struthers Lawnchair Beards.

]]> Sally Struthers Lawnchair http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723039 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723039 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:39:44 -0800 Comment by horatiosanzserif Obviously, it's about Michael McDonald gaining the inner strength to write smooooth music for the Doobies: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jMTI8vg7A5U

]]> horatiosanzserif http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723044 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723044 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:40:57 -0800 Comment by An Interested Party What seemed natural to me:

First stanza. The fool is the personification of her childhood dream. White knight and roses stuff that he hopes will appeal to her romantic side. Trouble is, she never transitioned any of those dreams to reality.

Second stanza. She realizes the the childhood dream was never very good.

Third stanza. He is hook line and sinker, but she tries to let him down easy.

Fourth and Fifth stanzas. He pursues. He hopes his dream is big enough to pull her back to when she had it too. Fantasy is so much more seductive than reality.

]]> An Interested Party http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723054 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723054 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:49:40 -0800 Comment by Shane according to http://www.songmeanings.net/lyric.php?lid=3530822107858571600 it means "An incredibly sad tune about a man who's deluded by his love for a woman. The guy doesn't realize that not only is she going to leave him ("anybody else would surely know he's watching her go"), but she's never coming back ("why can't love return once more"). In love, hope springs eternal. And in this case, it's the hope of a fool" or it means "is there any mexicans here." keep in mind they're all user-submitted explanations..

]]> Shane http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723057 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723057 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:52:17 -0800 Comment by Billy Diana has hit on the head, I'm afraid.

]]> Billy http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723059 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723059 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:52:44 -0800 Comment by charles billy, i agree. Diana has solved the puzzle for me. he has nothing in the present and so goes back to a time when he believed he had something, but in fact he had nothing. he's always had nothing but nothing.

]]> charles http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723064 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723064 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:58:00 -0800 Comment by ddv i read it as an estranged father trying to make amends with his grown daughter years after walking out on her.

ddv

]]> ddv http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723066 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723066 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 10:58:42 -0800 Comment by reverend dr dj riz and nothing from nothing leaves nothing
- reverend dr billy preston

]]> reverend dr dj riz http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723068 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723068 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:00:44 -0800 Comment by maxsolomon you get paid to analyze the meaning of 30 year old doobie bros. songs?

can we switch jobs?

]]> maxsolomon http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723071 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723071 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:03:58 -0800 Comment by An Interested Party ddv@9.

Nice. That makes the more sense to me than the standard romantic model I was trying to use.

]]> An Interested Party http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723072 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723072 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:04:00 -0800 Comment by Gomez It was written by a bunch of potheads. I'm not surprised that it barely makes sense.

But it's about a guy trying to get with an old female friend, and he thinks he has a chance but he really doesn't. And the narrator finds him a fool for it.

]]> Gomez http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723084 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723084 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:15:59 -0800 Comment by T I kind of thought it was about me.

]]> T http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723111 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723111 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:31:17 -0800 Comment by Alrighty I remember in college that I would get really stoned and write 'poetry' and think that I had just written something really cool, important, meaningful and profound only to awake in the morning with ink on my face and some really awful crap written down and nothing to turn in for my freshman english assignment.

I think it's clear that the Doobies did the same thing but every morning they wake and bake so when they reread this they still thought it was profound...you know? It just kinda makes sense.

]]> Alrighty http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723149 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723149 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 11:59:31 -0800 Comment by matthew fisher wilder He's like the hirsute Elisabeth Frazier from Cocteau Twins. He just puts word together or phonemes that just sound good for his voice. He's abstract that way.

]]> matthew fisher wilder http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723335 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723335 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 13:22:11 -0800 Comment by try here Try this site, songfacts.com http://www.songfacts.com/detail.php?id=1982

]]> try here http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723352 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723352 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 13:28:26 -0800 Comment by Lloyd Clydesdale I would think that if it's about being baked, the harmonies would be harder to hit. So, which is it?

]]> Lloyd Clydesdale http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723383 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723383 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 13:38:42 -0800 Comment by Diana You're welcome.

If you have any more need for lyrical analysis concerning addictions to being thwarted, I am at your service.

]]> Diana http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723744 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c723744 Music Tue, 22 May 2007 19:50:41 -0800 Comment by khbesrof ivqrmyd zvefmpka lcatxrgds aplubozvi gxwbsct xeopfj veujrhon znfyhbro

]]> khbesrof ivqrmyd http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c733267 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c733267 Music Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:13:18 -0800 Comment by lhign yhsjvm xtwduca rcfypsnjg xrtj xwmh lcojzvd xgnh dcuaopvx http://www.xvnsmf.ajslbkp.com

]]> lhign yhsjvm http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c733269 http://slog.thestranger.com/2007/05/my_first_failure_today#c733269 Music Sun, 03 Jun 2007 00:14:07 -0800