I’m Just Better Off Not Listening To Fred’s Advice

Possibly misheard lyrics of a classic song by Daryl Hall and John Oates.

I started listening to Top 40 radio stations in the late 1970s when I was in my pre-teen years. Some of the first songs I fell in love with back then were “She’s Gone,” “Sara Smile,” and “Rich Girl,” which were all popular hit singles from Daryl Hall and John Oates.

While I liked the duo a lot, I didn’t purchase any of their records until the Fall of 1980, just after starting my freshman year of high school. A couple of months earlier in July, the duo released their ninth studio album, Voices. The first single from it was “How Does It Feel To Be Back.” The song only made it to #30 on Billboard’s Hot 100 back then, but I loved it.

I considered buying the Voices album but I wanted to wait to see if I also enjoyed whatever their next single was from it. That single turned out to be the duo’s fantastic cover version of The Righteous Brothers’ classic song “You’ve Love That Loving Feeling.” I loved that one too. A lot.

Ka-ching! I bought Voices and Daryl Hall and John Oates received the first of many “payments” I’d be making to them over the years.

I played the album a lot. One of the songs on it that quickly grabbed ahold of me was “Kiss On My List.” It wasn’t yet a popular song on the radio, but I instantly fell in love with it. I had a habit back then (and maybe even still do now) of standing in front of my bedroom mirror and singing along with songs. I did that a lot with “Kiss On My List.” I was jamming right from the opening lines of it:

My friends wonder why I call you all the time, what can I say? I don’t feel the need to give such secrets away You think maybe I need help, no, I know I’m right (alright) I’m just better off not listening to Fred’s advice

Such a great opening! I didn’t know who the Fred was that Daryl Hall thought he should not be listening to, but I figured that Daryl must have known what he was talking about. After all, he was a wise rock and roll star! He had even once been wise enough to not be swayed by a Rich Girl who had gone too far with him.

I kept rocking out and singing along to “Kiss On My List” for several months before it was released as a single and became one of their biggest hit songs. As it got played over and over again on the radio and ascended the charts, I sometimes had these thoughts:

What does Fred think about all of this?

Is he upset that Daryl Hall has let the entire world know that his advice isn’t worth listening to?

Are other people now not listening to Fred when he’s trying to help them?

Poor Fred.

In April of 1981, “Kiss On My List” became the second #1 Billboard Hot 100 song for Daryl and John Oates (after “Rich Girl” in 1977.)

It was sometime around then that my friend Buddy and I were listening to the Voices album at my house. He loved it too and we both sat there jamming to it and singing along with it. Then we came to “Kiss On My List.” As usual, I was singing it the way I always had before:

“I’m just better off not listening to Fred’s advice…”

“Dude, what did you just say?” My friend Buddy asked me.

“I was just singing the song, man. You know — the part about Fred,” I replied.

“What are you talking about, Pierce? There’s no part about anyone named Fred.”

“Sure there is,” I confidently replied. “How do you not know that?!? Let me grab the album sleeve. I think the lyrics are on it. I’ll show you.”

I grabbed the sleeve and we looked together at the lyrics for “Kiss On My List,” lyrics I had never looked at since buying the album:

“You think maybe I need help, no, I know I’m right (alright) I’m just better off not listening to friends’ advice”

Oh.

Friends’.

Not Fred’s.

Hmmm.

I didn’t believe it.

Not then and not now.

Daryl Hall could have strayed away from the “official” lyrics and sung the song his own way, right? Yes, that’s right. He could have.

I think I’ve been correct about Fred all along. Daryl Hall did sing “Fred’s advice” when they recorded the song.

Here’s what I think happened: Daryl Hall felt guilty after recording the song and didn’t want to hurt Fred’s feelings, so he changed the wording in the “official lyrics.”

Yes, I bet that’s what happened. Daryl Hall was looking out for his pal Fred. He may not have wanted his advice, but he didn’t want to totally break the guy’s heart.

Anyway, thank you to Daryl Hall and John Oates for recording a fantastic song. Thank you also to Daryl Hall and Janna Allen for writing it.

And thank you also to Fred, wherever you are.

Thank you for reading my article. If you enjoyed it, you may also enjoy this Song Story by Angelina Der Arakelian about another song by Daryl Hall and John Oates from their Voices album:

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