Which Eagle is Stevie Nicks singing about?

[sodascouts]

On Stevie's latest album 24 Karat Gold, she released recordings of songs that she'd written a while back. One of the songs, "Hard Advice," was registered in 1995 and written in 1994/1995.

She has said this song is about her "famous friend" Tom Petty giving her "hard advice" to let go of a certain high-profile musician she had been in love with, whom she had recently seen a cardboard cut out of in a record store. That narrows it down a whole heck of a lot, but which high-profile romantic partners of Stevie had cardboard cutouts of themselves all over record stores in 1994? Also, one of the lines in here is "get over it." Coincidence? I think not.

So... who's it about... Joe or Don?

The lyrics:

HARD ADVICE

Sometimes late at night
I turn on the radio
Your music fills the room
I just can’t seem to get away from you

Saw a life size paper doll of you
In a record store
My friends as well as me
Can’t seem to let you go
It was finished long ago

Sometimes he’s my best friend
Even when he’s not around
But the sound of his voice
Well, it follows me down
And reminds me

Another famous friend told me
Love does end
Make a clean break
He didn’t talk about heartache
You have to let him go
Oh oh

Get over it
Remember how it was
Before our infamous pasts had begun
You have to let him go
He gives such hard advice, oh

He gives such hard advice
He says don’t think twice
Turn off the radio
It was finished long ago
Go write some real songs
This is all wrong

Sometimes he’s my best friend
Even when he’s not around
But the sound of his voice
Well, it follows me down
And reminds me

Sometimes he’s my best friend
Even when he’s not around
But the sound of his voice
Well, it follows me down
And reminds me

You have to get over this
The pain’s gone on too long
Go and write some real songs
Stay out of music stores
Don’t buy that doll

Sometimes, sometimes

Turn off that radio

Turn off that radio
Don’t buy that doll
Don’t buy that doll

[VAisForEagleLovers]

I'm feeling mathematically challenged today, but HFO was in 1994, right? So...perhaps all of them were in cardboard cutouts in record stores?? I realize that doesn't help you... :brickwall:

[Midnight Visitor]

There were plenty Ordinary Average Guy stand-ups in record stores in the early 90's. It looked like the album cover. One of his arms up in the air.

[sodascouts]

I'm torn. She's said she had a harder time getting over Joe, but some of the lyrics seem to fit Don better than Joe.



Sometimes late at night
I turn on the radio
Your music fills the room
I just can’t seem to get away from you

This seems like it would definitely be more applicable to Don, especially in 1994; Don was the one singing "Get Over It" and "Learn to Be Still."


Saw a life size paper doll of you
In a record storeCould be either. There were cutouts of them as a group promoting HFO. Joe, however, was pitching some guitar-related products at the time, so he might have had one of him individually somewhere. Likewise, you might have seen cutouts of Don from promotion of Actual Miles, depending on how late that part was written. I call a draw here.



My friends as well as me
Can’t seem to let you go
It was finished long agoJoe was well-liked by Stevie's friends, but so was Don, and both had been over for years by that time. Another draw.


Sometimes he’s my best friend
Even when he’s not around
But the sound of his voice
Well, it follows me down
And reminds me

Another famous friend told me
Love does end
Make a clean break
He didn’t talk about heartache
You have to let him go
Oh ohI think this is all Tom giving her advice, and seems to be more applicable to Joe, since she seemed to have a harder time getting over him.


Get over it
Remember how it was
Before our infamous pasts had begun
You have to let him goThis, however, seems to apply more to Don. Stevie and Joe's romance wasn't really infamous, but Stevie and Don's was in the midst of the swinging 70s and everybody knew about it. Plus, Don's vocal is the one featured on "Get Over It."

The rest of the song is pretty much repeating Tom's advice to her, lol.

That's my ambiguous interpretation! Still trying to decide which Eagle it is. Leaning a bit towards Joe.

[VAisForEagleLovers]

Still trying to decide which Eagle it is. Leaning a bit towards Joe.

Seems like if it were about Joe, even if he'd cleaned up when she'd written it, she'd have a line or two in there referencing how bad he'd gotten. Maybe not, but even if he'd cleaned up, it would have still been too recent to trust it. So I would have thought part of the Hard Advice would include a reminder of it.

[Brooke]

I'm leaning towards Don, but who knows?!

[deb828]

Thanks for starting this thread, Soda. Every time I hear this song, I am intrigued about which lover she is singing about. From your argument, I think Don, but who knows (well, Stevie :)) You bring up such fascinating points, most of which did not occur to me.

[Tiffanny Twisted]

First ,its a beautiful song .
One of my favorites.

Two, my first thought was don ,then joe
I know she has spoken of tom petty giving her advise in intervies so I see his reference there as well
.
Third ......maybe its in relation to both of them , joe and don

That's my gut ferling

[DJ]

I totally agree with TT. Even before I read her post I thought of both Don and Joe. That is one of the great mysteries of song writing, one nevers knows what the lyric/song truely indicate.

[SoaringRockyMountainWay]

I didn't even know Stevie dated Joe. I thought it was just Don. I learned something new today. :)

[Roey]

"Get over it" and "Best Friend" make me think it is Don. When she was freaking out after 9/11, besides her mother, isn't Don the person she reached out to? Then again, many times the Eagles are thought of collectively so it could be about both Don and Joe.

She seems to be very open when interviewed. Most recently she confirmed her song "Sara" alluded to her unborn child fathered by Don. I bet if a reporter asked if it was Don or Joe, she would answer honestly.

[Brooke]

She seems to be very open when interviewed. Most recently she confirmed her song "Sara" alluded to her unborn child fathered by Don. I bet if a reporter asked if it was Don or Joe, she would answer honestly.

I read that and I couldn't believe she would talk about that. I bet Don was cringing if he heard about it being discussed since he is usually so closed mouth about personal stuff. I just couldn't talk about such a horrible thing as abortion, but I'd have never aborted a child either.

[sodascouts]

Don cringing? He was the reason it was brought up! She was asked about what Don had said regarding the abortion and the song "Sara". She confirmed that Don was telling the truth and moved on. Sadly, in this click-bait society, that was distorted into a headline implying she had done a lot more than that.

Most people just read the headline and condemned her, never realizing she had only confirmed Don's statement when asked, and that she had said nothing further on the matter.

If anything, it probably reopened Don's feelings of guilt and regret since he was the one who revealed to the press that Stevie had aborted their child. She had told almost no one. Even their producer didn't know about it. She tried hard to keep it that way, but Don apparently didn't realize it was a secret.

[DJ]

Don cringing? He was the reason it was brought up! She was asked about what Don had said regarding the abortion and the song "Sara". She confirmed that Don was telling the truth and moved on. Sadly, in this click-bait society, that was distorted into a headline implying she had done a lot more than that.

Most people just read the headline and condemned her, never realizing she had only confirmed Don's statement when asked, and that she had said nothing further on the matter.

If anything, it probably reopened Don's feelings of guilt and regret since he was the one who revealed to the press that Stevie had aborted their child. She had told almost no one. Even their producer didn't know about it. She tried hard to keep it that way, but Don apparently didn't realize it was a secret.

It's pretty sad that news got out at all,even though one of the people involved let it out. That is such a private issue, I'm surprised she didn't tell Don not to say anything.

[sodascouts]

Yes. Don never would have said anything if he'd realized it was a secret. He apologized profusely to Stevie after he'd realized his blunder, but sadly at that point there was nothing he could do - the cat was out of the bag.

[Brooke]

Wow, I'd forgotten that Don was the one that told it. How unlike him to reveal something so personal and so terrible! Stevie must have been devastated when it all came out.

[Midnight Visitor]

I read that and I couldn't believe she would talk about that. I bet Don was cringing if he heard about it being discussed since he is usually so closed mouth about personal stuff. I just couldn't talk about such a horrible thing as abortion, but I'd have never aborted a child either.

Stevie often makes me cringe. Coming out and talking about her affair w/married Joe who had a toddler child at the time of their affair. :shh: I felt bad for Lucy.

[Zanny Kingston]

MV- I guess I never realized Joe was married at the time! Wow.

[sodascouts]

I'm very glad Stevie doesn't talk about Joe as much now in interviews. Their relationship was a train wreck that Stevie has romanticized. Let's just say Joe doesn't use the same flowery language when describing it. If this song is about him, I hope she never admits it.

[sodascouts]

Just looking over the liner notes, and both Don Henley and Joe Walsh get thanks, among others, for "inspiring" some of the songs on the album. Hmmm.....

[tjh532]

I'm very glad Stevie doesn't talk about Joe as much now in interviews. Their relationship was a train wreck that Stevie has romanticized. Let's just say Joe doesn't use the same flowery language when describing it. If this song is about him, I hope she never admits it.

My thought is that it's more likely Joe. Hasn't she referred to him as the great love of her life?

[sodascouts]

Yep, he's at the very least in the top three, in terms of her feelings.

[sodascouts]

Note: I Moved a couple posts to the Stevie Nicks thread here: https://www.eaglesonlinecentral.com/forum/showthread.php?t=385

[Funk 50]

Although nobody knew it at the time, The Stevie and Joe affair, happened around the time Joe was touring his, You Bought It You Name It, album. The following album, The Confessor has always been my least favourite Walsh album but I've always wondered who Joe's singing about in Dear John.

Stevie wrote a few songs about Joe. Did Joe write a song about Stevie?


"Dear John"

I started out to write you this letter,
But it ended up another song.
I am sorry that the news can’t be better, Dear John.

When we started out I thought we were different,
We ended up exactly the same.
So in order to protect the innocent,
The names have been changed.

I just got to get back to my music, to my music.

And I know that we both promised forever,
Forever didn’t last that long.
Maybe someday I will write you a letter,
Until then at least I wrote you this song, Dear John.

I just got to get back my music, and all the things that go along with the job.

And lying in bed with the room spinning round,
It’s the price that you pay when you’re on the way down,
It’s the price that you pay.
Sincerely yours...

[sodascouts]

That was for his wife Juanita; I guess he couldn't resist punning on her name.

Frankly, I don't think he felt deeply enough for Stevie to write a song like that for her. Stevie was FAR more invested in the relationship than he was. It was his wife that he "promised forever" to; it was his wife that he betrayed.

One can't blame the breakup on Stevie. According to Joe's song "Family" that marriage (among others) "never felt right" and didn't "matter."

[Funk 50]

I can believe that, Sodascouts. She's the backing singer that sounds like Tim on some of Joe's solo records.:)