Do Something

[Freypower]

Musically, maybe Chaim but when the Eagles did their radio promotion for the Long Road Out Of Eden release in 2007, Don rather than Tim spoke about Do Something. I got the impression that it was Don's song, that he was originally to be the lead singer but it got shifted to be one of Tim's two lead vocals. I was hoping Tim would perform, Do Something live at his solo show but he didn't.

Tim just doesn't sound right singing Don's words but I can understand Joe and Tim being reticent about offering their own songs to the Eagles. Judging by Joe's, Pretty Maids and In The City, that have never appeared on a Walsh record, they seem to take over ownership.

Thanks to Dreamer for unlocking this thread.

It should be pointed out that there is a solo version of In The City; it appeared on the Warriors soundtrack before the Eagles recorded it. The same is true of Guilty of the Crime, which appears on the Robocop soundtrack (although Frankie Miller sings lead on it, not Joe). But PMIAR was recorded by the Eagles so of course they would take 'ownership' of it. Why wouldn't they? Same for Last Good Time In Town.

As has been pointed out, as far as we are aware most of Do Something was written by Tim & he should be given credit for it. I think it's a great & unfairly overlooked song which they should have performed live instead of the bland IDWTHAM.

[BillBailey1976]

The same is true of Guilty of the Crime, which appears on the Robocop soundtrack (although Frankie Miller sings lead on it, not Joe).

Guilty of the Crime was also done by The Bellamy Brothers w/The Bacon Brothers.

[Freypower]

Guilty of the Crime was also done by The Bellamy Brothers w/The Bacon Brothers.

I was referring to the version asssociated with Joe, not to any cover versions. Joe plays on the Robocop soundtrack verison.

[chaim]

chaim - Being that Do Something has a positive message, overall, I never really interpreted this line as being a super negative commentary on the state of the world. I view it more as an expression of the state of journalism, which actually drives home your point. But, of course, your interpretation is also valid.

You're probably right. If Timothy wrote the line, I'd say we can't say for sure. But if Don wrote it, your interpretation is definitely the correct one!
For some reason I've always thought of it as a Timothy lyric, but perhaps his contribution was mainly the music, except for the bridge.

[UndertheWire]

I had the impression, possibly from a radio interview, that Do Something was two songs that got merged with Tim having written the verses and Don the chorus.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

Hmm - Interesting, UTW. I don't recall any such interview, but I would love to hear anything from any of the band members that sheds some light on who wrote what in the various songs on LROOE. The liner notes for the album don't really tell us much of anything.

[Funk 50]

I actually woke up this morning with the intention of finding the audio interview about Do Something, done in 2007 when LROOE was released, and accurately transcribing it.

So here it is. Don's words are about 95% accurate, I've cut an unnecessary line from Tim. The broadcasters, (Worldwide exclusive to UK Station, Gold Radio) obviously did some editing too.


This originally turned me off the song but on reflection, it's not so bad. I'll give "Do Something" another chance.

Don:

Tim actually came up with the music for the verses on that song. I had the choruses and I had a lot of the lyrics written.. and I was sort of stuck for a verse pattern... and we were at my studio, one day and he was just in the vocal booth with a guitar just noodling around...and I walked past the door... and I heard him and I said "What is that?" and he said "Oh that's just something I've been toying around with" I said "I think we can use that"

Tim:

I was just toying around in one of the rooms at his studio and he (Don) came walking by and he stopped and he came in and he said "I think those could be the chords to this song that I have a chorus for, called "Do Something". So the genesis lyrically came from him, and the title but from there-on we sat together for a few days and knocked out the lyrics ... and I should mention that Steuart Smith helped to put together the bridge a little bit, musically, he and I did that but it's mostly Don and I.

Don:

I thought about singing it for a while then I said "nah, you know, I want you to sing this Tim," and it's a nice country flavoured ballad. We had an outside musician come in and play the pedal-steel guitar on it.

You know we all come from working-class backgrounds, at least in my case and I'm sure in Timothy's case and Glenn's case and Joe's case when we were growing up, you know you weren't allowed, as a lot of children are today, to wollow in self pity and there wasn't all this analysing and self evaluation... and all this concentration on self... and therapy.. and self improvement books and all that crap. It was just "Ok just shut up! and do something. Yeah! stop whining about it, just get off your arse (english pronounciation) and do something about it, if you don't like the way things are.

So congrats to Tim and Steuart for writing that great bridge. Great singing by Don too of course.

[sodascouts]

Thanks for taking the trouble to find and transcribe that! It does indeed shed light on the song.

[UndertheWire]

I think that was the interview I'd heard. I remember the bit about Don hearing Tim noodling but I hadn't taken in that it was only the music and not the lyrics of the verse.

[shunlvswx]

I have that interview. I got it off a website. It was like maybe 20 something clips. It was a great interview.

I actually like that song. I think more than I Don't Want To Hear Anymore, but I do like both.