When Carrie Fisher and Don Henley discussed the album that could “save the entire human race”
A wise owl once said, “You can only find Heaven by slowly backing away from Hell”. That wise owl was Carrie Fisher, and she lived her life by two main principles: hilarity and nonconformity. The first thing the actor once recognised about her friendship with Don Henley was the distance—they were neighbours, but living in close quarters in Beverly Hills meant sanity and chaos infiltrated their lives at every turn.
Fisher’s legacy might be best known for its strong links to the Star Wars franchise, but her impact reached far further than just that. Often, when people want to really get under the skin of who she was, how she thought, and how all of this influenced her decision-making, it’s best to mention Wishful Drinking, an intoxicating memoir about Fisher’s life, told with inimitable flair.
For Fisher, living by the book wasn’t just boring; it was also unnecessary, and being funny and existing outside of the norm was far more enticing: once, during an interview with Time Out, she cracked out one of the best ice-breakers in journalism history, addressing the prize her French bulldog had just won and whether the fame had gone to his head: “He’s still down to earth,” she said. “He’s very close to the ground.”
In fact, Fisher was known for her quick wit during interviews and in nearly all other aspects of her life, which probably explains why, when the tables were turned, and she was the interviewer in an exchange with Don Henley, things were anything but conventional. Whatever pre-brief they had shared ahead of time, it’s clear they were on the same page from the outset when Henley arrived wearing scuba gear, and Fisher turned up adorned in “what I always wear on a Saturday afternoon,” the slave outfit from Return of the Jedi. Oh, and some insect repellent.
Throughout the interview, their shared inclination towards make-believe and fantastical storytelling was rife, so everything should be taken with a pinch of salt. For instance, at the beginning of their conversation, Henley sets the scene by asking the all-important question: “You know, Carrie—may I call you Carrie, or would you prefer Princess?” To which Fisher replied: “Call me Linda, as in Blair.”
After being asked if he is currently working on anything, the musician gives a perfectly reasonable answer by saying he’s concocting a charity concept album. However, when pressed for more details, his flippancy is revealed: “It answers to ‘Steve’ right now,” he said, “But I’m vacillating between ‘The Phantasmagoric Journey of the Crystal Stink Bug’ and ‘We Are the World Without End’.”
The concept allegedly came to Henley during a trip “across America in an effort to get in touch with myself and the people” when a dream gave him the idea. “A family of Satanists lose the family farm, stow away on a freighter and end up in Sun City where they run into Jerry Falwell, who was just hanging out with some friends,” he explained.
Continuing, “They all join up and form a band managed by some congressmen’s wives and go on a world crusade to raise money from stupid people to give to smart people…or was it the other way around? Anyway, all the money ends up with the congressmen’s wives who make everything illegal except what they like and open a deprogramming centre for children with original thoughts”.
Then, Nancy Reagan makes an exercise tape for people with broken artificial hearts. Finally, Ronald Reagan quotes some of my lyrics in a speech on TV and I awaken in a cold sweat.”
Whether this chaotic subconscious realm made sense to Fisher, the readers, or Henley himself, he admitted feeling optimistic about the creation, almost like it was the answer to everything. “I have high hopes for this album,” he concluded. “I believe that it could save the entire human race…or at least the affluent, educated parts.”
