‘Witchy Woman’: The Eagles song Don Henley is adamant is not about Stevie Nicks
As a key component of the songwriting triumvirate of the Eagles, Don Henley has penned many classic tracks. Not only are they storied rock staples, but the heady, drug-fuelled California in which he made his name fed into a backstory that often blurs the line between reality and rock ‘n’ roll mythology. Composing classics, working with fine musicians in the band and rubbing shoulders with other celebrities were all crucial aspects of Henley’s existence at his peak, and all fed into the world-famous character he is today.
One of Henley’s best-loved compositions for the Eagles is ‘Witchy Woman’, the second single from the band’s eponymous 1972 debut album. A seductive rock groove featuring choppy chords, funky opening solos, and the epic break section, it taps into the narcotic-inspired romance and intrigue of the hippie period, as well as the sun-drenched clime of the California in which it was written, despite being recorded in London’s Olympic Studios.
As the song has an intense, sexual vibe, thanks to the R&B pulse and lyrics such as – “Raven hair and ruby lips / Sparks fly from her fingertips” – fans have long wondered who the titular female is. Many even thought it was Fleetwood Mac frontwoman Stevie Nicks due to her high-profile relationship with Henley and her famously witchy aesthetic. However, Nicks didn’t date the Eagles member until the late 1970s and got with Lindsey Buckingham the year the song was released. Furthermore, she doesn’t have raven hair, she’s quite famously blonde.
Despite not being the song’s subject, Nicks has said that ‘Witchy Woman’ is her favourite number by the Eagles. Nicks told BBC Radio 2 that she was driving to Los Angeles with Buckingham when she first heard it. She was blown away by its otherworldly sound and, tapping into the supernatural essence of the lyrics, added: “Premonition-wise, I would come to know Don Henley quite well.” Nicks also claims to know who the actual witchy woman is and that they became a very famous jeweller. She didn’t name her, though.
Henley has also explained that the song is not about his ex, Nicks. He’s said on numerous occasions that reading the biography of Zelda Fitzgerald, the wife of author F Scott Fitzgerald – who was most likely wrongly diagnosed with schizophrenia – had a defining impact on its spirit. He read the book through the flu, which caused a high fever and a state of semi-delirium, and eventually, Zelda’s story blended with “amorphous” images of other women Henley had met out and about in Los Angeles.
It’s not just Fitzgerald and these passing faces in the night that inspired ‘Witchy Woman’, though. According to Henley, books by Carlos Castaneda discussing shamanism—a popular mystical practice during the hippie period—and a girl he knew who was obsessed with the occult and magic also fed into it.
Speaking to Rolling Stone in 2016, he revealed that the track was primarily inspired by “the roommate of a girl I was seeing in the early 1970s. All things occult were popular in those days. Ouija boards, séances, palm reading, etc.” He recalled that a lot of girls were into “white witchcraft”, or benevolent magic, back then. He jokingly commented that some practised it alongside the nefarious black magic.
Explaining how the idea took hold of, he continued: “I thought it was charming and seductive, but I never took any of it seriously. For the most part, it was just a phase people were passing through, part of the overall youth movement and the quest for spirituality, which included a re-enchantment with the ‘old ways.’ It was harmless fun.”
Regardless of the subject’s true identity, ‘Witchy Woman’ was one of the first songs that confirmed Henley and the Eagles were serious musicians. While other classics such as ‘Desperado’ and ‘Hotel California’ were yet to come, it says everything that the 1972 track remains a favourite of those who were there to experience music and California during this era. He masterfully rendered his generation’s obsession with spirituality, providing an apt soundtrack for Ouija board sessions, séances, and the rest.
