This song, written by Steve Perry, formerly of the band Journey, and Randy Goodrum, was performed by Perry from his first solo album, Street Talk. It was released as the fourth single from the album in November 1984 and peaked at #18 in the U.S.

Says Goodrum of the joint effort …

“It seemed like such an unlikely match, Steve and me. Shortly before I flew out, I thought, I’ve got to put together some song ideas or some starts or something. I had this little vamp idea which I said, Well, Steve is calling me probably because he wants a certain thing that I do, so I will give him a piece of what I do. So that little vamp at the very beginning in the general chord progression of the verse was something I brought. He had a little writing room set up and he had this Fender-Rhodes there, and a little Linn machine, and a little Teac 4-track cassette player.

I drove up to the house in this little mid-size rental, and I looked like some guy from Connecticut – I had an English riding cap, and corduroy pants – and he opens the door, and he’s got a fire-engine red jumpsuit, sweat shirt and pants like he’d been exercising at a fire station or something. And hair down to his feet. He was a great guy. Instantly we hit it off, and we were good friends. So we went into the room to kind of kick around, and I played him that little start, and he liked it right away, and he started jamming some melodies.

My style from starting out in Nashville was to write lyrics and music simultaneously. That’s really the style I prefer, because the music is sort of telling you what it’s about from the get-go, and I don’t think he was used to that style, because we started about 11 in the morning, and about 11 that night we had the song done and demoed. I think he was pretty exhausted from it, and I was pretty tired, too. We ended up writing four songs, I wrote four days with him, and each day we wrote a totally different kind of song. And all four of them ended up on the record.”

This was the last single from Perry’s debut solo album, Street Talk. His group Journey was still active at the time, but members had taken on solo projects: guitarist Neal Schon teamed up with Jan Hammer (as Schon & Hammer) for albums in 1981 and 1982, and drummer Steve Smith released a jazz album in 1983 with his group Vital Information. Perry had by far the most successful career outside of Journey.

Foolish Heart
Steve Perry

I need a love that grows
I don’t want it unless I know
With each passin’ hour
Someone, somehow
Will be there, ready to share

I need a love that’s strong
I’m so tired of being alone
But will my lonely heart
Play the part
Of the fool again, before I begin

Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You’ve been wrong before
Don’t be wrong anymore

Feelin’ that feelin’ again
Playin’ a game I can’t win
Love’s knockin’ on the door
Of my heart once more
Think I’ll let her in
Before I begin

Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before, you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You’ve been wrong before
Don’t be wrong anymore
Foolish heart
Foolish, foolish heart
You’ve been wrong before

Foolish heart, hear me calling
Stop before you start falling
Foolish heart, heed my warning
You’ve been wrong before
Don’t be wrong anymore
Foolish heart

Oh foolish foolish heart
You’ve been wrong before

Foolish foolish heart
Foolish heart

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Stephen Perry / Randy Goodrum
Foolish Heart lyrics © Round Hill Music Big Loud Songs, Downtown Music Publishing