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...

[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 store

Could 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 ago

Joe 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 oh

I 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 go

This, 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.