Ok, I didn't see that. Still half-asleep here, watching the snow fall.
Ok, I didn't see that. Still half-asleep here, watching the snow fall.
I think that IYWN would bother me too except that I remember Glenn saying in an interview at the time that LROOE came out (I believe that it was the Gold interviews) that "the guy" is dying, so I don't associate it with Glenn dying (it bothers me to type those last 2 words). I guess it's just my way of allowing myself to enjoy what would otherwise be a very disturbing song.
I understand it's not about Glenn per se - unlike Don who writes more personal songs, most of Glenn's songs are constructed as stories that don't directly incorporate his own experiences. That's unsurprising, though, when one considers that the lyrics are often mostly written by Jack Tempchin. (I should note that the Strange Weather album deviates from this pattern somewhat, having more songs with personal themes). In fact, it's occurred to me that his ability to give impassioned vocals on songs that aren't about his own experiences might be tied to his ability to act... but I digress.
For me, the problem with "It's Your World Now" is that it's his voice singing those words about dying. I'm glad you can enjoy the song, though. Obviously, that's what Glenn intended.
But as I have said before if it is about dying and only dying, what is with the 'but first a kiss/one glass of wine/just one more dance' part? He sounds pretty healthy there to me. I prefer it as a more generalised song about leaving his legacy to the next generation rather than make it so specific. I did that at the start and I thought 'this is ridiculous'. It's him singing, and singing beautifully, as always, and I won't let this interpretation of it get in the way of enjoying the song. I think it's very moving. There are other songs/literature which are like this and if I got upset every time I heard/read them I wouldn't get very far. For instance I was reading my favourite book, War & Peace, at the time of my father's death, specifically the part where Prince Andrei dies (apologies to those who don't know the book) and it helped.
You also made a very broad statement about his solo songs that 'the lyrics are often mostly written by Jack Tempchin'. We don't know that. I don't like stereotyping Glenn as someone who primarily writes music.
ITA with you on both points here, FP. As usual, I tend to apply a very broad interpretion when analyzing song lyrics. Therefore, I also think of 'It's Your World Now' more in terms of leaving a legacy to future generations. I love listening to Glenn's voice on the song. While the Latino music is not my favorite, it's still a beautiful song that I very much enjoy.
And I have commented numerous times before on how I feel about stereotyping any of the guys in the band. I think they are all very multi-talented, and never like to make assumptions regarding their contributions or role based on inadequate information.
"People don't run out of dreams: People just run out of time ..."
Glenn Frey 11/06/1948 - 01/18/2016
I didn't know that the lyrics of Glenn's songs are mostly written by Jack. Did he say this in an interview or did he tell you personally? Don't think for a moment that I am questioning the validity of your statement. Just curious, that's all,as I know that you have spoken with him several times. Just wondered if it was a tidbit that he told you.
Hey guys, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to "stereotype" Glenn. I'm not saying he never writes lyrics and I have no idea what the ratio is regarding how many lyrics he writes vs. how many Tempchin writes.
That said, there's no shame in the fact that he might be more musically-oriented. Some people act like it's an insult to say that!
Re: IYWN - of course, everyone's take on "It's Your World Now" is just as legitimate as mine. I'm only saying how it comes across to me. While Glenn has said the guy in the song is dying, I know that doesn't preclude broader interpretations.
I agree - and this has unfortunately happened within the band. Tim says Don Henley is a 'great poet' while Glenn is 'the lone arranger' - and Felder apparently thinks that the only other decent songwriter in the band besides his illustrious self is Henley because Henley 'wrote the words'. The famous nickname Lone Arranger doesn't even allow for the fact that someone (presumably Glenn himself) had to actually write the tunes before he pulled them into shape. Of course it also refers to his leadership skills.
If Glenn is more Elton John than Bernie Taupin in terms of leaning towards music rather than lyrics (and even this is probably unfair, given that Elton does not write lyrics at all), it should be appreciated, not relegated to being of secondary importance.