Profanity in Eagles Songs

[VAisForEagleLovers]

This is the first time I have ever heard anyone believe that word to be "jagoff" and I've never seen it in a published set of lyrics (although certainly I could have missed one - perhaps you have seen one with those lyrics?)

I'm not saying you're wrong, but... I think that saying it's "pretty clear" might be an overstatement. I don't hear it and dismissing the overwhelming majority - if not all - of the published lyrics as simply ignorant of what is really being said might be a bit hasty.

This is especially true since the word seems to be predominately used in Pittsburgh rather than areas where any of the songwriters spent time, at least to my knowledge.

Again, perhaps you're right - they could have picked up the term from a Pittsburgh native - did you hear Don say something about it? It wouldn't be the first time I've heard lyrics incorrectly!

I've listened to it over and over, and especially during the HOTE shows, I've listened and watched his mouth. I've never heard or seen an 'r'. I remember when the song was popular and people in the area talking about the use of the word in the song, it was the first I realized it wasn't a word used all over the place. I could be wrong, of course, after all it's a word I've heard since early childhood, but it's still pretty clear to me.

They've toured in Pittsburgh a lot, and you can't spend much time in the Burgh and not hear it.

[sodascouts]

Well, I guess you never know! I think I hear an "rk" at around 2:14 here but again, I've been wrong before, and perhaps one hears what one expects. You're right that they've hit Pittsburgh quite a bit in tours, so who knows!

[shunlvswx]

You know. I have nothing against the guys using cussing words. Its different when you have a few words in a song where in a rap song you're cussing in every single line.

I guess it just depends. A few words in the song is ok with me, but cussing throughout the song, I'm not ok with.

[sodascouts]

Yes, we all have different thresholds as to what we consider acceptable... you can see cultural norms changing in the US even now, when censors don't bleep all the words they used to during "prime time."

[Freypower]

Well, this is news to me. I've never heard anything except jerkoff & I have never heard of the word VA mentions. If I have never even heard of it why would I hear it that way? Listen to the Long Run version. The r is clearly enunciated. I don't know why it would be changed for the benefit of people in one city.

[sodascouts]

Regardless of which one it is, VA makes a good point about it being a not-so-nice word. "Jerk-off" isn't the loveliest of phrases either when one thinks of what the term is derived from! It just doesn't cross over into the spectrum of curse word that other insults such as the "n-word" inhabit. That's a profanity you'll never hear the Eagles utter, at least in public, I daresay!

[WalshFan88]

I think the Millenium Concert says "rk" quite clearly.

The original though, I'm hearing "jag-off" or some derivative. I don't hear an R in the original personally.

It's like The Heat Is On and "the beat's alive" vs "the beat's so loud".

[Freypower]

So not only do you not hear an r, you hear the vowel as 'a'? I clearly hear 'er' as in 'her' and have done ever since I first heard the song. I can't believe this has never come up before.

THIO is 'the beat's alive' which rhymes with 'deep inside' (this HAS come up before). We had a thread on misheard lyrics:


https://eaglesonlinecentral.com/foru...read.php?t=992

[sodascouts]

I revived the misheard lyrics thread, if anyone wants to continue the jagoff/jerk-off discussion.

One of my friends made a point that in her mind at least, the insult profanities were worse than the profanities done for emphasis. I see her point. The Eagles do seem to avoid the profane insults for the most part - the n-word like I mentioned earlier, the c-word, m*****f***** (with the exception of "The Man") etc.

[Brooke]

One more comment on 'jagoff', I've never heard that word before and have always heard 'jerkoff' in that song! I guess we hear what we are more familiar with!

Our family and most friends do not believe in using profanity, especially around children. Some use it with other adults. I have used a word or two in frustration, but never in public. I remember when my kids were small and listening closely to everything everyone said; I had to have a talk with my Dad about using profanity around them! We just don't like it and were not raised that way! And Dad never used it around us as children either but had forgotten!