Eagles similes and metaphors

[Houston Debutante]

From LROOE,

'Bloated with entitlement, Loaded on propaganda'

From Business as Usual,

' We're burning time, bleeding grace'

Both of those songs are filled with terrific lyrics, Don is such a great lyricist, it's one of the reasons why I love him so much.

[thelastresort]

Within the Henley-Frey songwriting partnership is it usually Don who does the majority of the lyrics with Glenn chipping in as and when and doing musical structure, or does it vary? I think Glenn once commented that Don was the 'primary' lyricist (on the F1 extras I think).

[Freypower]

Within the Henley-Frey songwriting partnership is it usually Don who does the majority of the lyrics with Glenn chipping in as and when and doing musical structure, or does it vary? I think Glenn once commented that Don was the 'primary' lyricist (on the F1 extras I think).

In my opinion it varies more than people have been led to believe.

I would have thought that on the songs Glenn sings he has had more input into the lyrics.

[thelastresort]

In my opinion it varies more than people have been led to believe.

I would have thought that on the songs Glenn sings he has had more input into the lyrics.

Thanks. I know the HOTE doc said Henley wrote the words to Witchy Woman in one evening; but on the other hand I can't actually find a song Henley was written solely, unlike Glenn, who has a few.

[Ive always been a dreamer]

I do think there is a general perception that Don wrote most of the lyrics. However, there are lots of interviews that I've read, which indicate that Don and Glenn were a true team with regard to writing the song lyrics. I think as they began spending more time apart, then their song-writing collaboration probably suffered as well. Off the top of my head, the only song that I can think of that Don wrote totally alone is A Month of Sundays.

[UndertheWire]

This is from a 1982 interview with Glenn:

With Don, I handled more of the music, because he was the drummer. And he handled more of the lyrics because he was the English literature major. Besides that, he was just really good lyrically. We wrote more lyrics and music together up until Hotel California and then Don really sprouted some fantastic lyrics on his own, so he started shouldering more of that. I was more the guy who wrote chords for my songs and then also helped with the chord progressions that Walsh and Felder brought in. I helped get Henley and Felder's stuff together. I was the go-between for a lot of that. I think I backed off lyrically a little bit and I shouldn't have. Now, with Jack Tempchin, we write about the same amount of lyrics. Of course, we both play guitar and piano.

Sorry, I'm taking us even more off-topic.

Back to similes and metaphors, I wondered what people make of "Take it to the limit". In the documentary, Randy seems to be saying it took on a different meaning after he took it to Henley-Frey.

[thelastresort]

Back to similes and metaphors, I wondered what people make of "Take it to the limit". In the documentary, Randy seems to be saying it took on a different meaning after he took it to Henley-Frey.

I remember that, he seemed a little blunt (almost p*ssed off) whilst he said it. The lyrics do still give the impression of literally 'taking it to the limit' though, so I would be intrigued to see what changed and what caused Randy to look displeased.

[Houston Debutante]

I didn't think he looked pissed off, I thought he was grateful for their help.

The Hotel California is a metaphor for the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle, right?

[Freypower]

I didn't think he looked pissed off, I thought he was grateful for their help.

The Hotel California is a metaphor for the Hollywood celebrity lifestyle, right?

Not just that; the decline of California & America into decadence; the 'bloated with entitlement/loaded with propaganda' mentality they skewer so effectively in Long Road Out Of Eden. They use the celebrity lifestyle to dig deeper which is how they eventually end up with The Last Resort.

Speaking of LROOE; I know not everyone loves this song as much as I do, but the metaphor of Eden/the Middle East as Paradise Lost is used very effectively.

[sodascouts]

As far as the phrase 'take it easy' even though Jackson song didn't invent the phrase, it was not until the success of the Eagles recording it that it became widely used as part of the everyday vernacular like it is now.

For the past few days, I've been watching a bunch of film noir and detective movies from the 30s and 40s lent to me by someone at the university.

In almost every one of these movies, the gangsters and "gumshoes" holler "TAKE IT EASY!" at someone who's worked up. I'm watching one right now called Jigsaw and the bad guy yells at the hysterical, screaming flame to "TAKE IT EASY!" before he shoots her dead! I was like "Well, I guess she's taking it easy now!" lol

Perhaps the phrase was really popular in the 30s and 40s, fell out of favor, and was revived by the song in the 70s. It certainly looks like it was a part of the vernacular back when these movies were made, though.... especially among "tough guys.'