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How Do the Fools Survive? Lyrics
Oh, I hand them this life
To do what they will
They've got to find their way from here
Oh, show us the way
If they only knew
Oh, show us the light
Show them what light?
It shines from within
You make your own day
You make your own night
And sometimes you win
Oh, show us the way
But you always get through
Oh, show us the light
Oh, why do they come and ask for more?
They've got stars they don't have wishes for
They're just givin' up their blame to me
How do the fools survive?
I'm wonderin' why, I'm wonderin' how
They're gonna bail themselves out now
Oh, give us this day
I'm shakin' my head
Oh, keep us through night
Oh, I hand them this life
To do what they will
They've got to find their way from here
Oh, show us the way
If they only knew
Oh, show us the light
Oh, why do they come and ask for more?
They've got stars they don't have wishes for
They're just givin' up their blame to me
How do the fools survive?
It's not like it was before
When they call I won't come running
It was so long ago
I left them on their own
Oh, how do the fools survive?
To do what they will
They've got to find their way from here
Oh, show us the way
Oh, show us the light
Show them what light?
You make your own day
You make your own night
And sometimes you win
But you always get through
Oh, show us the light
They've got stars they don't have wishes for
They're just givin' up their blame to me
How do the fools survive?
They're gonna bail themselves out now
Oh, give us this day
I'm shakin' my head
Oh, keep us through night
To do what they will
They've got to find their way from here
Oh, show us the way
If they only knew
Oh, show us the light
They've got stars they don't have wishes for
They're just givin' up their blame to me
How do the fools survive?
When they call I won't come running
It was so long ago
I left them on their own
Oh, how do the fools survive?
Song Info
Submitted by
songmeanings On Feb 06, 2012
More The Doobie Brothers
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Add your song meanings, interpretations, facts, memories & more to the community.
The greatest existential song of all time, past, present and future.
From "God"'s point of view, he has given us this life to make of it what we want; but we keep asking for gobs of stuff even though we have opportunities in front of us that we are not able or willing to utilize to our advantage. And when things don't work out, we blame it on God (it wasn't his will). I particularly like "it was so long ago, I left them on their own", a seemingly clear reference to the casting out of paradise, somewhere East of Eden.
It's a gospel song really; about not whining to God, but getting on with all that he has made available to us.
It would be a great pleasure and honor to discuss this song with one of the Doobie Brothers for verification. But many of their songs are about positivity and moving forward in the belief that we can make the choice of how it goes. That's why I'm such a big fan.