Lyin Eyes Song Analysis

[Delilah]

I came across this video of someone analyzing the music and lyrics to LE. It seemed pretty interesting—he brought up some aspects I never thought about. I searched for a general thread about this song but only found a couple that were quite specific in the topic e.g. the radio version.

http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=TmhEzSnJXPc

[priscillaupstate]

That was so interesting. Thanks!

[YoungEaglesFan]

It's interesting to see the guy talk about the music in the song. To me I'll always love New Kid In Town more than lyin eyes, despite vastly inferior lyrics, because I found LE to be musically boring. The harmonies are great on the chorus but there aren't many throughout the song and they are mixed kinda low. I think it could have been an incredible song with a more up tempo ( like they do live) and some more guitar fills. But it's still a great song

[My My]

Thanks, Delilah. Interesting analysis. I don't know anything about musical arrangement, but tried to follow along and got at least part of it I think. I think he did a good job on the lyrics, except the part about a possibly Hispanic boy was a reach. I've always loved this song...one of my favorites! You are so good at finding these things!

[Scarlet Sun]

To me I'll always love New Kid In Town more than lyin eyes, despite vastly inferior lyrics, because I found LE to be musically boring.
Funny, I think the exact opposite

[Freypower]

It's interesting to see the guy talk about the music in the song. To me I'll always love New Kid In Town more than lyin eyes, despite vastly inferior lyrics, because I found LE to be musically boring. The harmonies are great on the chorus but there aren't many throughout the song and they are mixed kinda low. I think it could have been an incredible song with a more up tempo ( like they do live) and some more guitar fills. But it's still a great song

I don't know how LE could have been any more uptempo without the story getting lost. That almost happens in Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue, wonderful though that is. As for the harmonies being mixed 'low' I completely disagree. There are just enough harmonies to support Glenn's superb lead vocal. Any more, again, would have detracted from the story.

I don't know what you mean by the lyrics of NKIT being 'inferior' to LE. In what way? NKIT is a superior song, yes, but how the lyrics are inferior to LE totally escapes me. They are far more complex.

[YoungEaglesFan]

I don't know how LE could have been any more uptempo without the story getting lost. That almost happens in Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue, wonderful though that is. As for the harmonies being mixed 'low' I completely disagree. There are just enough harmonies to support Glenn's superb lead vocal. Any more, again, would have detracted from the story.

I don't know what you mean by the lyrics of NKIT being 'inferior' to LE. In what way? NKIT is a superior song, yes, but how the lyrics are inferior to LE totally escapes me. They are far more complex.

I like how they play it live Vs The record. In the DC film it at least seems to me to be played a faster pace. I just disagree about them not being loud enough. I think that until the third verse they don’t play a major role (aside from the chorus obviously). I personally find the lyrics in Lying eyes to be better. I like the story. I don’t hate the lyrics in new kid in town but the music and the vocals make it special to me not the lyrics

[YoungEaglesFan]

I don't know how LE could have been any more uptempo without the story getting lost. That almost happens in Dylan's Tangled Up In Blue, wonderful though that is. As for the harmonies being mixed 'low' I completely disagree. There are just enough harmonies to support Glenn's superb lead vocal. Any more, again, would have detracted from the story.

I don't know what you mean by the lyrics of NKIT being 'inferior' to LE. In what way? NKIT is a superior song, yes, but how the lyrics are inferior to LE totally escapes me. They are far more complex.

Lying eyes and New kid in town are close to equal in terms of how important they are to the bands history, legacy, chart placement etc. I think new kid in town has almost assuredly better music (at least more interesting, fun etc) and it has more vocal harmonies and energy. So the question is why is lyin eyes close to NKIT in the categories I mentioned. It’s because of the lyrics and the story is plays. It carries that song through an otherwise boring song

[Freypower]

Thanks, Delilah. Interesting analysis. I don't know anything about musical arrangement, but tried to follow along and got at least part of it I think. I think he did a good job on the lyrics, except the part about a possibly Hispanic boy was a reach. I've always loved this song...one of my favorites! You are so good at finding these things!

Total overreach about the boy at school possibly being Hispanic, & overreach in assuming the narrator knows the woman personally because of the 'I thought by now you'd realise' line. I am also not sure about the young lover being naive & believing the woman will return to him. As this was analysed, how about the husband's 'he knows where she's going'. The husband knows she is cheating on him. It's highly significant & the guy doesn't mention it.

A 'tender love triangle' indeed.

[WalshFan88]

There is very few Eagles songs I don't like or skip. I even like the mostly hated tunes on The Long Run album.

Lyin' Eyes is one of those songs. With long songs they can go two ways for me, either it's boring or it keeps my attention. Hotel California has no problem keeping my attention for 7 or so odd minutes. Lyin' Eyes is just too boring.

I definitely echo the sentiment about preferring NKIT, but it wasn't always that way. I used to not like it either, but now I do so maybe someday I'll like it better. I feel like same way about Tequila Sunrise. It just doesn't do anything for me.

[Pippinwhite]

I like both songs, about equally. But the narrator does go through the musical side of it with great detail, and it kind of pays tribute to Glenn, "The Lone Arranger." It's always interesting to hear that kind of analysis from someone who obviously knows his musical stuff. Good find! Thanks for posting!

[YoungEaglesFan]

There is very few Eagles songs I don't like or skip. I even like the mostly hated tunes on The Long Run album.

Lyin' Eyes is one of those songs. With long songs they can go two ways for me, either it's boring or it keeps my attention. Hotel California has no problem keeping my attention for 7 or so odd minutes. Lyin' Eyes is just too boring.

I definitely echo the sentiment about preferring NKIT, but it wasn't always that way. I used to not like it either, but now I do so maybe someday I'll like it better. I feel like same way about Tequila Sunrise. It just doesn't do anything for me.

I agree with you about Tequila Sunrise and Lyin eyes. On the greatest hits album those two are the ones I skip the most

[chaim]

Interesting. I will check it out. I'm sure there's something like "the A major chord in the chorus is unexcpected". :lol:

[Dawn]

Really interesting, thanks Delilah.

I always loved the arrangement and Glenn's vocal which IMHO is pretty close to perfection.

"The devil is in the details" . Agreed.

[chaim]

After reading some comments about the song being boring I gotta say that I don't find the song boring AT ALL even though there are three long verses and nothing changes in the composition. I think there are things in the arrangement that keep it interesting, and a lot of it comes from Bernie. Like the descending tremolo mandolin after the word "school". Brilliant. Sounds very nostalgic and makes me think that Bernie probably knew what the lyric was going to be. (I assume the vocals were added last.)

[thelastresort]

Lyin' Eyes is an interesting one for me. It's a slow, slow burner; and it does often take me more effort than I should need to avoid skipping it. Lyrically, it is a very well-written story, but I prefer the complexities of NKIT to the straight out prose of LE: anyone can tell a tale, but it does take something special to be able to play with words and meaning like New Kid in Town (and several dozen other Eagles songs) does.

Musically, I get the reasoning for keeping it simple and love Bernie's little add-ins on the mandolin; but again the likes of Tequila Sunrise and NKIT absolutely annihilate it on that front too.

What I will say for LE though is the superb delivery of it from Glenn, and the harmonies of the chorus are rightly regarded as some of the greatest ever committed to an Eagles track.

[Delilah]

You’re welcome, everyone (and thanks MM, that is kind of you to say).

I don’t think of the song as boring but I have gotten tired of it. It’s the one song I tend to skip on GH Vol 1. Yet I don’t skip it when it I’m listening to OOTN. Go figure.

The uploader of the video had a lot of praise for the arrangement and pointed out some details I hadn’t paid much attention to—the fills and piano and backing vocals and when they occur. It helps when someone knowledgeable about music discusses these intricacies even if I don’t completely understand them. Someone commented about the bass line awhile back (on YT I think), complimenting Randy’s choices and subtle changes to keep it interesting. Since then I’ve paid more attention to the bass work on this song as well as others. Before that I mainly focused on Glenn’s great vocal performance.

I always thought the lines that begin “my oh my, you sure know how to arrange things” were spoken by the rich old man who is confronting his unfaithful wife/mistress. That’s probably b/c for a long time I thought the line was “funny how you knew I didn’t change things” instead of “funny how your new life didn’t change things.”

[New Kid In Town]

I have to say LE and NKIT are two of my favorite Eagles songs.
When Glenn passed, Bernie gave a sweet interview saying how much he enjoyed the HOTE tour. He also stated that Glenn knew how to tell/write a story and that LE and NKIT were perfect examples. I never tire of listening to both of those songs. Both show Glenn's talent at singing and arranging songs.

[NightMistBlue]

OT: I'm coveting that picture sleeve big-time. Must be rare.