In 1970, he moved to Los Angeles to record an album with his early band, Shiloh. Shiloh's album was produced by fellow Texan Kenny Rogers. Shortly thereafter, Henley met Glenn Frey. They both became members of Linda Ronstadt's backup band. Touring with her was the catalyst for forming the group. As a result, two months later they, along with Bernie Leadon and Randy Meisner, became their own act, Eagles.
Henley's music is often social commentary. One of his more famous songs is "Dirty Laundry" (from his I Can't Stand Still album, released in 1982). Its origins date back to 1980, when Henley was put on probation for possession of a narcotic and fined for contributing to the delinquency of a minor. The ensuing media circus and on-air pundits claiming that his career was over led to the writing of the song, which continues to be an indictment against the broadcast news media. Similarly, "Johhny Can't Read" (also from the Can't Stand Still album), continues to resound as a commentary on the educational system.
New York Minute
Don Henley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Dressed all in black
Went down to the station
And he never came back
They found his clothing
Scattered somewhere down the track
And he won't be down on Wall Street in the morning
The love of a girl
But men get lost sometimes
As years unfurl
One day he crossed some line
And he was too much in this world
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody's going to jail
You find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool's advice
And take care of your own
One day they're here
Next day they're gone
I pulled my coat over my shoulders
And took a walk down through the park
The leaves were falling around me
The groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock
A desperate lover left his mark,
Baby, I've changed, please come back
What the head makes cloudy
The heart makes very clear
The days were so much brighter
In the time when she was here
I know there's somebody, somewhere
Make these dark clouds disappear
Until that day, I have to believe
I believe, I believe
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
You can get out of the way
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change (in a New York minute)
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
You can get out of the way
In a New York minute
The song New York Minute by Don Henley explores the idea that life is fleeting and things can change in an instant, especially in a big city like New York. The lyrics tell the story of a man named Harry who, despite having a home and the love of a girl, becomes lost in the world and ultimately disappears. The opening lines of the song describe Harry getting up and dressing in all black before heading to the station, never to return. The lyrics suggest that Harry has crossed some line and has become too caught up in the fast-paced, cutthroat world of Wall Street. The chorus of the song repeats the idea that in New York, everything can change in a minute, and things can get strange.
The second verse of the song shifts from Harry's story to the singer's own observations of the city. The lyrics describe the sound of emergency sirens and the wolf always being at the door. The message is clear: life in New York is unpredictable, and you need to hold on tight to the people you love. The third verse takes us on a walk through the park, where the singer sees a message left by a desperate lover. The lyrics suggest that despite the darkness and uncertainty of life, the heart can provide clarity and hope. The song ends with a repetition of the chorus, reiterating the idea that in a New York minute, everything can change.
Overall, Don Henley's New York Minute is a powerful reflection on the transience of life and the need to hold onto what truly matters, especially in a chaotic city like New York.
Line by Line Meaning
Harry got up
Harry woke up from his sleep
Dressed all in black
He was wearing all black clothes
Went down to the station
He walked towards the train station
And he never came back
He didn't return after leaving for the station
They found his clothing
The authorities found Harry's clothes
Scattered somewhere down the track
His clothes were found scattered along the train tracks
And he won't be down on Wall Street in the morning
Harry won't be seen on Wall Street the next morning
He had a home
Harry had a place he called home
The love of a girl
He had a girlfriend who loved him
But men get lost sometimes
Men lose their way at times
As years unfurl
As time passes by
One day he crossed some line
One day he did something he shouldn't have
And he was too much in this world
He couldn't handle the world anymore
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore
But now it doesn't make any difference
In a New York minute
In an instant
Everything can change
Things can change drastically
Things can get pretty strange
Things can become unusual and unpredictable
Lying here in the darkness
The singer is lying down in darkness
I hear the sirens wail
He hears the sound of police sirens
Somebody going to emergency
Someone is being taken to the hospital in an emergency
Somebody's going to jail
Someone is being taken to jail
You find somebody to love in this world
It's important to find someone to love
You better hang on tooth and nail
You should hold onto that love tightly
The wolf is always at the door
Challenges are always waiting to ambush you
And in these days
In modern times
When darkness falls early
When night comes quickly
And people rush home
People hurry back to their homes
To the ones they love
To be with their loved ones
You better take a fool's advice
It's better to take advice from someone who has made a mistake
And take care of your own
Take care of your family and loved ones
One day they're here
One day they are alive and present
Next day they're gone
The next day they could be gone forever
I pulled my coat over my shoulders
The singer covered himself with his coat
And took a walk down through the park
He went for a walk in the park
The leaves were falling around me
The leaves were falling from the trees
The groaning city in the gathering dark
The city was making a groaning sound as darkness was setting in
On some solitary rock
On a rock by himself
A desperate lover left his mark
Someone wrote a message on the rock in desperation
Baby, I've changed, please come back
The message just says that the writer has changed and wants their loved one back
What the head makes cloudy
The mind can be unclear
The heart makes very clear
But the heart knows what it wants
The days were so much brighter
The past was better and brighter
In the time when she was here
When his loved one was with him
I know there's somebody, somewhere
The singer knows there is someone out there
Make these dark clouds disappear
Who can make the dark clouds go away
Until that day, I have to believe
Until that unknown day, he has to keep believing
I believe, I believe
He believes
You can get out of the way
You can avoid getting hurt if you move out of the way in time
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Jai L. Winding, Danny Kortchmar, Don Henley
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@AlmaWells
Harry got up
Dressed all in black
Went down to the station
And he never came back
They found his clothing
Scattered somewhere down the track
And he won't be down on Wall Street in the morning
He had a home
The love of a girl
But men get lost sometimes
As years unfurl
One day he crossed some line
And he was too much in this world
But I guess it doesn't matter anymore
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get pretty strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Lying here in the darkness
I hear the sirens wail
Somebody going to emergency
Somebody's going to jail
You find somebody to love in this world
You better hang on tooth and nail
The wolf is always at the door
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
And in these days
When darkness falls early
And people rush home
To the ones they love
You better take a fool's advice
And take care of your own
One day they're here
Next day they're gone
I pulled my coat over my shoulders
And took a walk down through the park
The leaves were falling around me
The groaning city in the gathering dark
On some solitary rock
A desperate lover left his mark,
Baby, I've changed, please come back
What the head makes cloudy
The heart makes very clear
The days were so much brighter
In the time when she was here
I know there's somebody, somewhere
Make these dark clouds disappear
Until that day, I have to believe
I believe, I believe
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
You can get out of the way
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
Things can get little strange
In a New York minute
Everything can change (in a New York minute)
In a New York minute
Everything can change
In a New York minute
You can get out of the way
In a New York minute
@brainofkjf
Very well done, though heart wrenching. I'm an expat New Yorker. Nearly 21 years later I'm still crying. #NeverForget 💔
@Alienbuster1000
Thank you! Yes it still brings a tear to my eye to watch it. Thank you so very much for watching and commenting!
@markmark1604
Never forget is right wish more still felt this way
@GalaxyJazzGirl
@brainofkjf What's heart wrenching, in THE REAL GHOSTBUSTERS cartoons , you can still see the North and South towers still standing tall and proud! 1990s TMNT THE MOVIE - shot of Central Park, you can still see the North and South towers still standing tall and proud. "TMNT 2 Secret of the Ooze" as well. Fucking, bastards terrorists!
@Alienbuster1000
@@markmark1604yes never forget! We need to make sure it is not forgotten or surpressed!
@jeffreyg607
🙏🙏
@brownelllandrum4650
I always thought this song was a perfect fit for the horrors of that day. Great video. Well done.
@Alienbuster1000
Thank you very much for your comment! I really apperciate it. I am glad you liked it. Yes when I first heard this song something clicked and I knew that this song would be perfect for a 9/11 memorial video.
@xSTARR999
@@Alienbuster1000 "In a New York minute, everything can change...In a New York minute, things can get pretty strange..." PROPHETIC!!! First song I thought of after these horrific events.
@Music-tk5oq
NYM is about hustle & bustle of NYL. Who knew it would mean more 12 years later.