The song that reduced Don Henley to tears
The Eagles have been responsible for some of the most heart-wrenching pieces of American music of the past 50 years. Even though Don Henley and Glenn Frey may never have claimed to be one of the greatest songwriting teams in the world, their innate ability to cut to the heart of the human condition on ‘Hotel California’ and ‘Desperado’ was unmatched by any of their soft-rock peers. While most of the band’s greatest work is derived from rock and roll, the sounds of country music were able to tug at Henley’s heartstrings.
Then again, the Eagles have never been far away from country. Throughout their time working with Linda Ronstadt, both Henley and Frey built up a repertoire of songs with a fair bit of twang behind them, all while performing with their signature harmony sound. Once they got country legend Bernie Leadon in the band for their first albums, their hybrid of country music and rock was cemented on songs like ‘Peaceful Easy Feeling’ and ‘Take It Easy’.
Henley could also thank country music for giving him his first big break. Before he had even moved out to California, Henley had worked with his first band, Shiloh, before catching the eye of Kenny Rogers, who convinced them to move to California to chase their dream when playing their first handful of gigs at The Troubadour.
As far as Henley’s personal preferences are concerned, he was always drawn to the sounds of country music, citing Ray Charles as an enormous influence on how he wanted to sing. While many like associating the Nashville sound with artists like Johnny Cash and Glen Campbell, Henley thought it always came down to how the song was translated.
When listing some of his favourite songs, Henley singled out the track ‘Dreaming Fields’ by Matraca Berg as one of the most emotional pieces of music he had ever heard. Although no artist could sing a song quite like its composer, the frontman thought that Trisha Yearwood’s rendition left him in pieces every time he heard it.
Discussing the power behind the song, Henley said he couldn’t help but tear up when he heard her sing, telling BBC Radio 2, “Matraca did this song, but I like Trisha Yearwood‘s version better. I’m sorry, Matraca (laughs). I get tears in my eyes every time I hear this song. It just kills me because it reminds me of my father and my grandfather, who were both farmers at one point”.
The song also has the makings of being a decent Eagles B-side. Much like the band had interpreted songs like ‘Seven Bridges Road’, a song about the simple life and wanting to gaze upon the pastures spread throughout the country feels like it’s pulled directly from Henley’s playbook, especially given his fascination with the work of poets like Henry David Thoreau.
For as much as the song may remind Henley of the days before he had seen the big lights of Hollywood, the song’s feeling gets to the root of what Henley always wanted out of music. While many try bending their melodies in different directions to suit their needs, Henley knows it takes the perfect marriage of a good lyric and a good melody to make the crowd’s hearts dance.
