Those Shoes - Stevie?

[sodascouts]

I'm spending the weekend with a couple fellow Stevie fans after her concert in Chicago and one of them said to me that she had read an interview where Don said "Those Shoes" was inspired by one time when he went by a shoe store with Stevie Nicks. She wanted to buy yet another pair of shoes - these were red. He told her she didn't need them, but she went back later and bought them anyway. Then, he saw them and wasn't too thrilled with her for it!

Does anyone know of this article or has anyone ever heard this story? I realize he wrote it with Glenn Frey and Don Felder, and that in other interviews it hasn't been mentioned, but you know how it is - sometimes they tell different stories at different times, and sometimes an event will spark a song even if it technically isn't "about" that event. However, this could just be Stevie-land urban legend, too! I thought I'd ask.

[Freypower]

I've never heard this. It could be true but to me Those Shoes is a generic song about a very specific type of woman. Shoes are a metaphor. I wonder sometimes... why is it that some Stevie Nicks fans think that all Don Henley songs are about Stevie Nicks?

[Molly]

Seems like I remember reading a quote from either Don or Glenn that said something like they were big fans of the high heeled shoes with the ankle straps that were in fashion back then (and are in fashion again now, I guess). Some sort of latent shoe festish, or a metaphor as Julie said? I suppose we'll never really know.

[sodascouts]

I wonder sometimes... why is it that some Stevie Nicks fans think that all Don Henley songs are about Stevie Nicks?

I can assure you that I have never heard of anyone in the Stevie fandom that thinks that all of Don Henley's songs are about Stevie. Of course I realize you were using hyperbole and didn't mean it literally, but for the record, as far as I know, there are only about seven songs that Stevie fans speculate may be partially inspired by her, and I am including in that number the erroneous assumption about "Witchy Woman." The others that I have heard speculation about are the following: "Life in the Fast Lane," "Victim of Love," "Miss Ghost," "Not Enough Love in the World," and "Heart of the Matter." I and most Stevie fans (including my friend) do not even believe that all of those are about Stevie, but they are the commonly discussed songs. (Perhaps that's more than you wanted to know! lol)

As for my friend, she doesn't even know the song "Those Shoes" or its lyrics. She just thought she'd read that somewhere and asked me if I'd heard the story, since I'm someone who also likes the Eagles.

Right now it looks like it's just a myth, though, unless anyone has heard differently! Thanks for the responses, FP and Molly. (Shoe fetish - lol!)

[Freypower]

I thought by now it was common knowledge that HOTM is about Maren Jensen.

The next question is has Joe, whose relationship with Stevie was deeper and longer lasting, ever written any songs about her? I know she wrote at least two for him.

[DonFan]

Nancy, I have read everything I can get my hands on about Don, and I have never heard a mention about Those Shoes and Stevie.
Makes an entertaining story, though!

[sodascouts]

Thanks again, guys. Looks like it's a no! Oh, well, too bad!

As for Joe, I'm not sure if he's written anything about Stevie, but he has said regarding The Confessor that she was "pretty much responsible for that whole album" because she encouraged him to continue making albums - told him that he "wasn't finished." And look at him now!

[sodascouts]

I thought by now it was common knowledge that HOTM is about Maren Jensen.

I forgot to address this part - I don't think it's common knowledge at all. Outside of the Henley fandom, I daresay there are not many people who even know who she is, much less that she and Henley dated.

Even within the fandom, I think you'd find that many fans have no idea who Heart of the Matter is about or who Maren Jensen is. I know amongst us hardcores it's easy to forget that if you talk to the Henley fan sitting next to you at a concert and ask that person to name even one of Henley's girlfriends aside from Stevie Nicks, he/she wouldn't be able to.

[Maleah]

I've heard that about HOTM but I don't have a clue who Maren Jensen is though. It'd be interesting to see what she looks like though....or at least what she used to look like.

[sodascouts]

This was from around the time they got together (maybe a couple years earlier):



She is most famous for her role on Battlestar Galactica, the series (1978-1979). I'm afraid that according to IMDB, she hasn't done anything of note in the movie/television industry since 1981. She did, however, appear in Don's Not Enough Love in the World video as the female actress. You can't see her very well here, but here is a capture: