The Don Henley songs he thought never got old: “Always resonates with me”
Every lyricist is playing with fire every time they put pen to paper. It’s one thing to write something with your generation, but it’s anyone’s guess whether that something is going to stand the test of time or be outdated in three months as soon as the new kids in town come and replace everything that you created. Don Henley was in it for more than just a catchy single, and he knew that his solo songs ‘The Heart of the Matter’ and ‘The End of the Innocence’ were bound to resonate for years to come.
If Henley had had his way, though, chances are the Eagles would have never broken up. The massive infighting may have been a sore subject for everyone, but despite a few minor hiccups with Glenn Frey, it seemed like everything was smooth sailing until it hit a brick wall when Frey and Don Felder got into a fight backstage during a benefit show.
Now with everything going up in smoke, Henley just wanted the chance to get to work on his next venture as a solo act. There was no doubt that he was the breakout star of the group with that golden voice, but it took him a while to find his identity before he started work on singles like ‘Dirty Laundry’ and ‘The Boys of Summer’.
Despite becoming one of the fixtures of adult contemporary rock on albums like Building the Perfect Beast, Henley managed to be one of the few musicians of his generation to never embarrass himself too badly. Yes, there were still some outdated fashion statements he made in videos for ‘All She Wants To Do Is Dance’, but The End of the Innocence marked a bit of a turning point in his catalogue.
For both the title track and closing song, Henley paints a unique picture of what it’s like growing up in America. Whereas ‘The End of the Innocence’ discusses someone growing into adulthood and having to let go of their childhood dreams, ‘The Heart of the Matter’ is about the opposite side of heartache, where Henley can learn to forgive himself and his other half even if it means sacrificing their relationship.
There had already been pieces of growth on ‘New York Minute’ and ‘The Last Worthless Evening’, but Henley considered the bookends of the record core pieces of his catalogue, saying, “’The End Of The Innocence’ has taken on a whole new meaning now. When I talk about the lawyers cleaning up all the details and that sort of thing, that resonates with me. ‘The Heart of the Matter’ always resonates with me because we always need forgiveness from somebody.”
In fact, it’s telling that Henley never bothered to talk about riches and money as soon as he became famous. Sure, he would comment on it here and there, but even up until his most recent album, Cass County, he has been far more concerned about the blue-collar folks of America still trying to make a living for themselves.
And maybe that’s why the lyrics to both of those tunes work so well. They’re not exactly trying to be on the same level as Shakespeare or anything, but everyone is bound to relate to something that universal.
