Songs written about or for Don

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Okay - I got to thinking about this when I saw a mention of the song 'Sara' on the board. I believe Stevie Nicks has said that she wrote this song at least partially for/about Don. Then, there is the lame Mojo Nixon composition 'Don Henley Must Die'.

Can any of you think of any other songs besides these two that were written for or about Don? I can't think of any others right off the top of my head, but I was thinking there are probably some.

[sodascouts]

In addition to Sara (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wetLZyuY7Rg), Stevie has said these songs either contain references to Don or were party inspired by Don:

Leather and Lace (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6gI8eHVdplk) (Stevie has said that Don was the only person she could sing this with, because she was thinking of him when she wrote it)

The Highwayman (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BtigvBHRE) (which Don sings backup on; he's "one of" the inspirations for this song, according to Stevie)

One More Big Time Rock'n'Roll Star (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xwQYRrNLD54) (she has said that this song specifically refers to a message on some flowers Don sent her)

ETA: Goodbye Baby (The Tower) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OkxgMmyi9Gs) is a sad song full of regret that is thought to be about the abortion of their baby. (The Tower in the song = the hospital.)

[pueblo47]

I'm sure Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" especially with Don in mind.......isn't that right, Bernie or Randy?:partytime:

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I'm sure Dolly Parton wrote "I Will Always Love You" especially with Don in mind...


pueblo - where did you hear this??? The only thing I ever heard Dolly say is that she wrote that song for Porter Wagoner when she left his show to go solo.

[pueblo47]

pueblo - where did you hear this??? The only thing I ever heard Dolly say is that she wrote that song for Porter Wagoner when she left his show to go solo.

:hilarious:Gotcha with that one, rotfl. I love it when people actually believe an out-and-out LIE!!!:lie::bye::rofl::lol::applause::crazy::wink:

You know I'm kidding, don't you? If not, I STILL LOVE THAT YOU FELL FOR THAT ONE!!!!

I'm gonna get this right sooner or later......I should have been an editor cuz I'm getting good at it. As in: hindsight is better than foresight.:angel:

Come on, Bernie or Randy, let's go sit down and think up something to do.....:angel:

[sodascouts]

In case you wonder what "Don Henley Must Die" sounds like, here's a video of Mojo Nixon doing it live (WARNING: Vulgar language):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QKWaCOQre4A

The lyrics (written in 1990):

This is the sound of my brain. (strikes chord)

Then I said, this is the sound of my brain on Don Henley! (strikes dischord)

Then I said, 1 2 3 4...

He's a tortured artist
Used to be in the Eagles
Now he whines
Like a wounded beagle
Poet of despair!
Pumped up with hot air!
He's serious, pretentious
And I just don't care

Don Henley must die!
Don't let him get back together
With Glenn Frey
Don Henley must die!

Turned on the TV
And what did I see?
This bloated hairy thing
Winning a Grammy
Best Rock Vocalist?
Compared to WHAT?
Bunch of pseudo-serious crap
takes a manic Satanic plot

Don Henley must die!
Put a sharp stick in his eye!
Don Henley must die!
Yea yea yea

(guitarist plays 'Hotel California' riff)

Quit playin' that crap
You're out of the band

I'm only kidding
Can't you tell?
I love his sensitive music
Idiot poetry, swell
You and your kind
Are killing rock and roll
It's not because you're O-L-D
'Cause you ain't got no soul

Don't be afraid of fun
Loosen up your ponytail
Be wild, young, free and dumb
Get your head out of your tail

Don Henley must die!
Don't let him get back together
With Glenn Frey

Don Henley must die!
Put him in the electric chair
Watch him fry!

Don Henley must die
Don Henley must die
No Eagles reunion!
The same goes for you, Sting!

(Credit for lyric transcription: Mad Music Archive (http://www.themadmusicarchive.com/song_details.aspx?SongID=3197))

[pueblo47]

Was it in one of the threads here that I read about that and Don was at one of his shows and they wound up becoming friendly and all? Anyway, showed Don can be a good guy any time he wants to, which is most of the time.

Ok, Bernie or Randy, let's go for now.:partytime:

[sodascouts]

You know, I think Lindsey Buckingham also wrote a song called "Don Henley Must Die" around 1976... ;)

Seriously, though, what an honor for Don to have not one but FIVE Stevie Nicks songs about him (at least in part)!

[pueblo47]

You know, I think Lindsey Buckingham also wrote a song called "Don Henley Must Die" around 1976... ;)

Seriously, though, what an honor for Don to have not one but FIVE Stevie Nicks songs about him (at least in part)!


What I don't really understand about Ms. Nicks is that she and Don continue to remain close and she continues to say that Joe was "the love of her life". I know all the details of both guys and her, she's just kind of contradictory(?)in her versions of the stories. Sort of unintentionally tactless. JMO.....

[Freypower]

I don't see what's tactless about remaining close to Don while naming Joe as the love of her life. I have always understood that the Henley affair was nowhere near as intense as her relationship with Joe and that it was comparitively brief, even if she wrote all those songs about him.

[sodascouts]

Yeah Pueblo, I'm confused why that is "tactless" as well. Plus, if Stevie sometimes says Joe is the love of her life and sometimes she says Lindsey is the love of her life, that's her right as a lady. ;) She's never said Don is the love of her life as far as I know, but he obviously means a lot to her as a friend.

[pueblo47]

Ouch, I didn't mean to stir up a hornet's nest. And I did say it was MY opinion. That's the generation gap at work here. You see it one way, I take it another. And in the interest of good will here, I have nothing further to add to this thread.

Well, actually I do have more to add: I said Unintentionally tactless, that was my point: that she let her mouth run before her brain kicked in or whatever. Also I know that you people on this board love Nicks....some of us, myself included, don't and so whatever I say about her you will take as abrasive but I stand by whatever I said or will say in the future. Now go ahead and gang up on me, think I care?:thumbsup::hilarious:

[sodascouts]

Pueblo, you didn't "stir up a hornet's nest." However, when you provide an opinion - especially a controversial one - you have to be prepared for the possibility that some people may not agree.

[bernie's bender]

I think glenn and don wrote "you never cry like a lover" anticipating that Don would someday be involved with Stephanie.

I dearly love her, but she can kinda be a bit 'much'... (oh wait, so can Donald)

Lest we forget, these people are just people we went to high school who just happened to get hellaciously popular and rich... Joe is the goofy kid, smart, but purposefully erratic, Bernie is the grumpy kid arguing with the teachers (you always hear him say 'you are so full of crap',) Glenn is always faking notes to get out of class, Randy hangs out at the auto shop or ag shop with a clingy girlfriend who always needed his jacket, don was a nerdy kid (in the band!) who tried acting out the angry young man thing, while wearing clean clothes and having the praise of his teachers. Stevie was the girl who wasn't a cheerleader (more like a songleader or pep commissioner) who always had a boyfriend who was like 30. Lindsey was the high strung kid, really smart kid on the cross country team who dreamed of being famous and really great at something (he would have founded Apple if the Steve's hadn't)...

Felder? he's the guy with the wine colored el camino who was selling the occasional nickel bag to pay for gas while he worked part time caddying and bringing in carts at the golf course.

We know all these people... you just have to strip away the fame and think of kids you knew...

[sodascouts]

I have always understood that the Henley affair was nowhere near as intense as her relationship with Joe and that it was comparitively brief, even if she wrote all those songs about him.

And let's not forget that she wrote a song for Joe, and a very moving one at that, after he told her about the death of his child:

Has Anyone Ever Written Anything for You (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjGYt_GO6c0)

[bernie's bender]

I kinda understand the 'tactless' comment. The music business is pretty incestuous (lots of affairs among lots of people who are friends) and so, like a really small town, some degree of circumspection is probably kind.

I don't know if it matters if we know who Stevie's 'love of her life'... but, I'd imagine that along the way she has had some pretty intense relationships, I'd assume that the relationship she has with her husband is fairly important to her... so, to enumerate "the ONE" publically probably doesn't do much for Joe and probably causes some degree of hurt. Stevie can be spiteful and say and do things to 'get' people... so, her comment about Joe and the whole song thing about Emma has a high degree of likelihood that it was at least as hurtful as helpful.

It is noteworthy that the details of the accident are very vague... I could imagine that Emma's mom might not be thrilled about hearing Stevie's story. It could be seen as exploitive. It also kind of seems that Stevie had the 'upper hand' in the Joe relationship, but not in her relationships with Lindsey nor Henley...

She is a complex person full of twists and turns and lots of drama and really awful power play type stuff... I kind of shrugged when I heard the Joe proclamation... I think she knew it would cause as much (or more) pain for others than just 'truth telling' or whatever her motive was.

Her proclamation may have been just good ol fashioned narcissism.

I remember in graduate school running into a buddy from undergraduate school and after a bunch of beers at the Green Leafe Cafe he drunkenly told me that a girl we both knew was "THE ONE" but he'd gotten engaged to another girl. He is a good guy and I doubt he ever uttered that again... no matter how true it might be... it would cause more hurt than the tearful or drunken admission would bring satisfaction.

When I have been asked that question by people, I recognize it for what it is... a trap.

The good news in this case is that when pretty much anyone read the Stevie Nicks proclamation... most people said the same thing, "whatever."

just kind of TMI and most likely manipulation or her immediate deep emotion which usually colors her actual judgement.

I can just hear Joe upon hearing that.. "wow man. that.. that's a lot." and then a little laugh. as his current wife kind of dies a little inside.

oh yeah, stevie told waylon jennings that leather and lace was written after seeing an interview of he and his wife Jessi Colter.

[sodascouts]

but, I'd imagine that along the way she has had some pretty intense relationships, I'd assume that the relationship she has with her husband is fairly important to her... so, to enumerate "the ONE" publically probably doesn't do much for Joe and probably causes some degree of hurt

I suppose it might be hurtful to her husband if she were married. She's not. Unless you mean that guy she was married to for like three months in 1983?

As far as what Joe's fifth wife (as of Dec. 2009) thinks of Stevie... somehow, I doubt she's "dying inside" over what Stevie says!


oh yeah, stevie told waylon jennings that leather and lace was written after seeing an interview of he and his wife Jessi Colter. Stevie says in her liner notes for TimeSpace that Waylon Jennings called her and asked her to write a song for him to sing with Jessi, and that song became "Leather and Lace" - but that she wrote it with Don and he was the only one she felt could sing it with her when she decided to record it herself (Waylon was having major difficulties with Jessi and decided he no longer wanted to record it as a duet, so Stevie told him he couldn't have the song).

[bernie's bender]

I suppose it might be hurtful to her husband if she were married. She's not. Unless you mean that guy she was married to for like three months in 1983?

As far as what Joe's fifth wife (as of Dec. 2009) thinks of Stevie... somehow, I doubt she's "dying inside" over what Stevie says!

Stevie says in her liner notes for TimeSpace that Waylon Jennings called her and asked her to write a song for him to sing with Jessi, and that song became "Leather and Lace" - but that she wrote it with Don and he was the only one she felt could sing it with her when she decided to record it herself (Waylon was having major difficulties with Jessi and decided he no longer wanted to record it as a duet, so Stevie told him he couldn't have the song).

Sorry, I haven't kept up... I remember when she married the guy, he was the husband of her friend Robin Anderson who'd passed away.

I don't have the strong sense of what Joe Walsh's wife would feel (any of them) but I am pretty sure that the affairs of the heart are complicated and that some folks might well be hurt by her comments...

Again, the response was in response to the folks who couldn't understand how Nicks' comments could be construed as tactless. For most here, you probably wouldn't see them as tactless, but at least you might be able to see how someone might see them as tactless.

[sodascouts]

Again, the response was in response to the folks who couldn't understand how Nicks' comments could be construed as tactless. For most here, you probably wouldn't see them as tactless, but at least you might be able to see how someone might see them as tactless.I can buy that the comments could be considered tactless if people got their feelings hurt. I don't buy the "Evil Stevie" aspect, but I can see how you might assume the worst about her since you believed she had been cheating on Kim Anderson for 27 years. It definitely would be beyond tactless to be married to one guy and still call some other guy the love of your life!

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Well - interesting how we got from songs written about Don to here, but anyway, I noticed that pueblo had brought up something earlier about Don and Mojo Nixon that hadn't been addressed.


Was it in one of the threads here that I read about that and Don was at one of his shows and they wound up becoming friendly and all? Anyway, showed Don can be a good guy any time he wants to, which is most of the time.

I found this on Wikipedia, pueblo. Of course, we all know that Wiki isn't 100% reliable, but this does ring true with other stories I've heard about Henley joining Nixon on stage once to sing the song, which apparently earned Don a bit of respect in Mojo's eyes ...


Several years after its release, Henley jumped onstage with Nixon at The Hole in the Wall in Austin, Texas to perform the song. When Henley jumped out of the crowd, the dumbfounded Nixon immediately asked, "Is Debbie Gibson here too?" Nixon later praised Henley in this way: "He has balls the size of church bells!"

[TimothyBFan]

Quote:
Several years after its release, Henley jumped onstage with Nixon at The Hole in the Wall in Austin, Texas to perform the song. When Henley jumped out of the crowd, the dumbfounded Nixon immediately asked, "Is Debbie Gibson here too?" Nixon later praised Henley in this way: "He has balls the size of church bells!"

:hilarious::hilarious: And the first thing I thought of when I read that was the tambourine pic from earlier today! :blush:

[sodascouts]

LOL! That is so cool!

I know Joe mentioned Don (and Glenn) in the song "Shut Up (http://www.joewalshonline.com/solo/dyingplanet/shutup.htm)" but it was kind of in passing. I've always wondered if Glenn's song "Living in Darkness (http://www.glennfreyonline.com/solo/allnighter/livingindarkness.htm)" was addressed to the Eagles as an entity if not Don in particular, and referring to an Eagles reunion, but that's purely speculation on my part. Heck, perhaps Glenn is singing to Irving Azoff. :lol:

[sodascouts]

and here's more info about Mojo and Don from an interview with the A.V. Club (http://www.avclub.com/articles/mojo-nixon,13613/) (Warning: there's cussing)

[Troubadour]

LOL! Duets with Don AND Morrissey? That guy's nightmare is my idea of heaven! ;)

[Prettymaid]

Quote:
Nixon later praised Henley in this way: "He has balls the size of church bells!"

:hilarious::hilarious: And the first thing I thought of when I read that was the tambourine pic from earlier today! :blush:

LMAO!

[Troubadour]

<------------- I just had to.

[Prettymaid]

Gives a whole new meaning to 'Hey Mr.Tamborine Man'. :wink:

[Troubadour]

Ooh, yes. Another song that was quite clearly written about him! ;) ;)

He can take me on a trip upon his magic swirling ship any day.

[Prettymaid]

But in the jingle jangle morning will you come followin' him? :hilarious:

[Troubadour]

Oh, there will be lots of 'jingle jangle' in the morning if I have my way!

(Er... is that what you asked? :blush: :wink:)

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I do think that was 'ballsy' of Don to join Mojo Nixon on stage like that. It's too bad there is no video of it on YouTube. Actually, the lyrics in the song are very clever and funny, so I can see why Don may have a good sense of humor about it. And I also was LMAO about the Eagles being the '70's Country Monkees. However, in the end, Mojo can poke all the fun he wants, but the joke is on him. Look who's still going strong and has an uber fat wallet while Mojo's rather obscure with his main claim to fame being that he wrote a song about Don Henley. :thumbsup:

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I've always wondered if Glenn's song "Living in Darkness (http://www.glennfreyonline.com/solo/allnighter/livingindarkness.htm)" was addressed to the Eagles as an entity if not Don in particular, and referring to an Eagles reunion, but that's purely speculation on my part. Heck, perhaps Glenn is singing to Irving Azoff. :lol:

Soda, I agree that it is very likely that Living In Darkness was at least partially written about Don (and/or the Eagles and Irving) even though Glenn has never said anything about it. I've also thought exactly the same thing about Glenn's All Those Lies (http://www.glennfreyonline.com/solo/nfa/allthoselies.htm). I mean who out there doesn't think that "Shorty" is Irving, so doesn't it stand to reason that the first verse may be directed at Don (or one of the other Eagles) ???

[SilverAcidRayne]

scrolling thru facebook and I see an article about a stevie nicks song and how the story behind it was never told. BUT, I think us eagles fans know who it was possibly about. i'm just surprised they just caught on. lmao

http://societyofrock.com/the-shocking-truth-behind-this-stevie-nicks-song-that-was-never-told/?a=de&var=ILCR-stevienickstruth

[ambulance girl]

How could it NOT be about Don??? Although from what I've read, she sure got around back in the day....

[SilverAcidRayne]

oh wow... now see THAT I never knew. all these years they stood by the fact that the song was for Don. this is an even better story behind it. lol

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I knew that Stevie had said she started Leather and Lace for Waylon and Jessie, but had totally forgotten about it. I always liked Waylon Jennings, but I must confess how grateful I am that fate intervened and things turned out the way it did. I honestly don't think anyone could have equaled Stevie's and Don's version of the song. Absolutely incredible!

[sodascouts]

While it's true that she wrote it at the request of Waylon Jennings and for him in that sense, she has said that she was thinking of Don when she wrote some of the lyrics. Of course, Stevie changes her story a lot, lol, but it makes sense.

I'm going to go ahead and combine this with an old thread about songs inspired by Don (at least to a degree, in this case).

BTW, I love this compliment Stevie pays Don when talking about working on the song with him: "It was an unforgettable experience, as was he." She always has such high praise for him.

Some of you might be interested in our thread about Don and Stevie: www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279 (https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=279)