“That first song was “Doolin-Dalton,” about the famous outlaw gang comprised of Bill Doolin, Bill Dalton, Bob Dalton, Emmett Dalton, Bill Power, Dick Broadwell, George “Bittercreek” Newcomb and others. I think that Jackson [Browne – Ed] came up with it, initially.”Don Henley (768)

“Randy [Meisner – Ed] came up with “Certain Kind of Fool,” which captures the boredom, the longing and restlessness of young men in the waning days of the western frontier (and in subsequent times).”Don Henley (768)

“An idea Randy came up with was how the guy became an outlaw, or how he became a guitar player, or whatever. That’s what this song is about.”Glenn Frey (769)

“Bernie [Leadon – Ed] came up with the song “Twenty-One,” which was the age of Emmett Dalton, the baby of the lot, when the gang raided the town of Coffeyville, Kansas, in October of 1892. Emmett received 23 gunshot wounds and survived. Bullets hit his right arm, below the shoulder, his left – right, in some accounts – hip and groin, and he took 18 to 23 buckshot in his back. He was given a life sentence in the Kansas penitentiary in Lansing, Kansas, of which he served 14 years before being pardoned. He moved to California and became a real estate agent, author and actor, and died in 1937 at age 66.”Don Henley (768)

“If there was a moral to the story at all, it is that time and the law of averages – “the odds” – eventually catch up with everybody, especially if they’re overreaching. What goes up must come down. The album was a commentary on consequences, on the thing that some call “karma.” It’s also a meditation on the repercussions of living an isolated existence that rejects the idea of community, a life devoid of love and compassion, hence the final lines of the song “Desperado”.”Don Henley (768)

“”Good Day in Hell” was Glenn’s little tribute to Danny Whitten and Gram Parsons. It’s also another one of our running commentaries on the perils of the music business and the lifestyle that often comes with it.”Don Henley (768)

“[What inspired Wasted Time?- Ed] Failed relationships. Nothing inspires or catalyzes a great ballad like a failed relationship. Still, it’s a very empathetic song, I think.”Don Henley (768)

“We looked at it as an homage to (or maybe a sendup of) Sixties “frat rock,” in the vein of “96 Tears” by a group called Question Mark and the Mysterians, who, like Glenn, happened to be from Michigan.”Don Henley (768)

“[What inspired The Long Run? – Ed] Irony. The group was breaking apart, imploding under the pressure of trying to deliver a worthy follow-up to Hotel California, and yet we were writing about longevity, posterity. Turns out we were right. Irony upon irony.”Don Henley (768)

“”The Sad Cafe” was inspired by the Troubadour and Dan Tana’s restaurant. We could feel an era passing. The crowd that hung out in the Troubadour and the bands that were performing there were changing. The train tracks that had run down the middle of Santa Monica Boulevard had been ripped out. The train no longer came through – the same train that Steve Martin had once led an entire Troubadour audience to hop aboard and ride up to La Cienega Boulevard, then walk back to the club. Those remarkable freewheeling times were receding into the distance.”Don Henley (768)

“The eerily prescient “It’s Your World Now,” Glenn’s beautiful philosophical valediction to his wife and kids.”Don Henley (768)

“[What inspired Business As Usual? – Ed] The collective unconsciousness of the general populace; how we scurry along, ant-like, in our little ruts, day after day, completely oblivious to – or apathetic about – the bigger picture. How naive we are about the inner workings and the destructive forces of big business and politics, the irreversible damage that’s being done to the planet and so many of its voiceless inhabitants. The middle class is disappearing and with it the “middle ground” – the little island of reason and moderation that bobs between the monoliths of extremist ideologies that are rampant in our country today. A portion of the song is also a reference to the legal profession, the utter ruthlessness of it. It seems that some of the biggest pricks in the profession, the most contemptible, soulless scumbags to ever “practice” law have offices in Century City. They will, I’m sure, take that as a compliment.”Don Henley (768)