Each of the members has pursued a solo career, with Don Henley’s the most successful commercially and critically. In the ’90s, after what they considered a "14 year break", the band’s sound was frequently cited as an influence by young country stars, many of whom contributed tracks to the album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles (#3, 1993), which won Album of the Year at the 1994 Country Music Associations's CMA Awards. That same year, the Eagles revival culminated in the band’s reunion tour and album.
The group originally coalesced from L.A.’s country-rock community. Before producer John Boylan assembled them as Linda Ronstadt’s backup band on her album Silk Purse (1970), the four original Eagles were already experienced professionals. Bernie Leadon had played in the Dillard and Clark Expedition and the Flying Burrito Brothers; Randy Meisner, with Poco and Rick Nelson’s Stone Canyon Band. Glenn Frey had played with various Detroit rock bands (including Bob Seger’s) and Longbranch Pennywhistle (with J.D. Souther, a sometime songwriting partner), and Henley had been with a transplanted Texas group, Shiloh. After working with Ronstadt, Henley and Frey decided to form the Eagles, recruiting Leadon and Meisner.
Intending to take the country rock of the Byrds and The Flying Burrito Brothers a step further toward hard rock, the Eagles recorded their first album with producer Glyn Johns in England. Take It Easy (#12, 1972), written by Frey and Jackson Browne, went gold shortly after its release, as did their debut album of the same name. (Another single, Witchy Woman, reached #9 that year.)
Desperado was a concept album with enough of a plot line to encourage rumors of a movie version. The LP yielded no major pop hits, but its title track, Desperado, a ballad penned by Henley and Frey, has become a classic rock standard covered by Linda Ronstadt among others.
With On the Border, the Eagles changed producers, bringing in Bill Szymczyk (who worked on all subsequent albums through 1982’s Greatest Hits, vol. 2) and adding Don Felder, who had recorded with Flow in Gainesville, Florida (and who once gave guitar lessons to another Gainesville native, Tom Petty), then became a session guitarist and studio engineer in New York, Boston, and L.A.
The increased emphasis on rock attracted more listeners - mid-’70s hits included Best of My Love (#1, 1975), One of These Nights (#1, 1975), Lyin’ Eyes (#2, 1975), and Take It to the Limit (#4, 1975) - but alienated Leadon. After One of These Nights, Leadon left to form the Bernie Leadon–Michael Georgiades Band, which released Natural Progressions in 1977. (Leadon went on to become a Nashville session musician, and in the ’90s formed Run-C&W, a jokester group who played a blend of country and R&B.)
Leadon was replaced by Joe Walsh, who had established himself with the James Gang and as a solo artist. His Eagles debut, Hotel California, was their third consecutive #1 album (the second was their record-breaking 1976 greatest-hits compilation). New Kid in Town (#1, 1976), the title cut Hotel California (#1, 1977), and Life in the Fast Lane (#11, 1977) spurred sales of more than 15 million copies worldwide.
Meisner left in 1977, replaced by Timothy B. Schmit, who had similarly replaced him in Poco. Meisner has released two solo albums, Randy Meisner (1978) and One More Song (1980). (In 1981, he toured with the Silveradoes; later, in 1990, Meisner reemerged in the group Black Tie, alongside Billy Swan and Bread’s James Griffin.) Henley and Frey sang backup on One More Song, and in the late ’70s they also appeared on albums by Bob Seger and Randy Newman. In 1981 Henley duetted with Fleetwood Mac's Stevie Nicks on the #6 single Leather and Lace.
Between outside projects and legal entanglements, it took the Eagles two years and $1 million to make the multiplatinum LP The Long Run, their last album of all-new material. Parting hit singles included Heartache Tonight (#1, 1979), The Long Run (#8, 1980), and I Can’t Tell You Why (#8, 1980).
Walsh continued to release solo albums, though his biggest single to date has been 1978’s cheeky Life’s Been Good (#12). Felder and Schmit also put out their own albums and contributed songs to film soundtracks. Schmit’s second LP, Timothy B, included Boys Night Out (#25, 1987).
In 1982 Don Henley and Glenn Frey both embarked on solo careers. Frey charted with The One You Love (#15, 1982) and Sexy Girl (#20, 1984) before a movie proved his ticket into the Top 10: The Heat Is On, featured in Beverly Hills Cop, shot to #2 in 1985.
Frey followed this success by becoming an actor, making a guest appearance as a drug dealer on the popular TV series Miami Vice. The episode was based on a track from his album The Allnighter, Smuggler’s Blues, which consequently reached #12 (1985). Later in 1985, Frey’s You Belong to the City hit #2. While still dabbling in acting with roles in the short-lived TV series South of Sunset, the movie Jerry Maguire, and a guest spot on the Don Johnson post–Miami Vice series Nash Bridges in the ’90s, Frey also cofounded a music label, Mission Records, in 1997.
Ultimately, though, Henley was the ex-Eagle who garnered the greatest chart success, and the most critical acclaim as well. His Dirty Laundry (from his first solo effort, I Can’t Stand Still) made it to #3, but the 1985 album Building the Perfect Beast was to be his true arrival as solo hitmaker and respected singer/songwriter. The kickoff single, The Boys of Summer, went to #5 - supported by an evocative black-and-white video that fast became an MTV favourite - and earned Henley a Grammy for Best Rock Vocal Performance, Male; the hits All She Wants to Do Is Dance (#9, 1985) and Sunset Grill (#22, 1985) followed. A third album, The End of the Innocence, produced a #8 title track, End of the Innocence, and the additional singles The Last Worthless Evening and The Heart of the Matter, which both hit #21. The LP won Henley another Grammy, in the same category as before.
In the early ’90s, Henley sought release from his Geffen Records contract, initiating a long and bitter legal dispute. After participating in the release of a solo best-of album in 1995, Henley was freed from his contract. Five years later, he released a studio album of all-new material, Inside Job (coproduced by former Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers drummer Stan Lynch), and embarked on a solo tour to support it. Henley had married for the first time in May 1995 and had three children before releasing Inside Job. This life-altering change for the longtime bachelour resulted in a new theme in his songwriting; several of Inside Job’s tracks were clearly about marriage and family, including the gentle ballad Taking You Home (#58 pop, #1 Adult Contemporary, 2000). Much of the rest of the album, however, still explored Henley’s cynicism toward the business world and the media.
In 1990 Henley founded the Walden Woods Project, dedicated to preserving historic lands around Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts (where Henry David Thoreau and others reflected and wrote), from corporate development. Among the singer’s various fund-raising means were holding charity concerts, featuring other top rock artists, and donating proceeds from some of his own recordings, including a reggae version of the Guys and Dolls standard “Sit Down You’re Rocking the Boat” (1993). In 1993 the Walden Woods Project got a big boost from Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles, coorganised by Henley and featuring Clint Black, Trisha Yearwood, Travis Tritt, and others.
In 1994, after years of fielding off reunion rumours, Henley, Frey, Walsh, Felder, and Schmit - who had appeared together in the video for Tritt’s version of Take It Easy - hit the road for a massively successful tour, the third-highest grossing concert tour of that year. The tour went on hiatus toward the end of 1994, due to Frey’s gastrointestinal surgery, but it continued in 1995. In November 1994, the band released Hell Freezes Over, which featured four new songs, including the singles Get Over It (#31, 1994), Love Will Keep Us Alive (#1 Adult Contemporary, 1994), Learn to Be Still (#15 Adult Contemporary, 1995), and 11 of the old hits culled from the band’s 1994 live appearance on MTV. Within months the reunion LP had sold more than 10 million copies and gone to #1 on the pop album chart.
In 1998 the Eagles were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All seven members of the band performed together for the first time at the induction ceremony. The core members of the group - the ones who had recorded and toured together in the mid-’90s - reunited again for a few concerts at the end of 1999, including a New Year’s Eve show in L.A. A four-CD retrospective set, Eagles 1972–1999: Selected Works (#109, 2000), was released in November 2000.
Don Felder was fired from the band in 2000, leaving Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit as the remaining members of the band.
In 2007 they released a double album Long Road out of Eden, logically followed by a world tour, which was, regardless of people's opinion on the new album, a guaranteed sold-out event. The base line-up on this album is Glenn Frey, Don Henley, Joe Walsh and Timothy B. Schmit. Also performing on the studio recording are Steuart Smith (guitar, keyboard, mandolin), Scott Crago (percussion) and Will Hollis (keyboard).
On January 18, 2016, it was announced that Glenn Frey had died at the age of 67 in New York City from complications arising from rheumatoid arthritis, colitis and pneumonia.
The Last Resort
Eagles Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air
She packed her hopes and dreams like a refugee
Just as her father came across the sea
She heard about a place people were smilin'
They spoke about the red man's way, how they loved the land
And they came from everywhere to the Great Divide
Down in the crowded bars out for a good time,
Can't wait to tell you all what it's like up there
And they called it paradise, I don't know why
Somebody laid the mountains low while the town got high
Then the chilly winds blew down across the desert
Through the canyons of the coast to the Malibu
Where the pretty people play hungry for power
To light their neon way and give them things to do
Some rich man came and raped the land, nobody caught 'em
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes and, Jesus, people bought 'em
And they called it paradise, the place to be,
They watched the hazy sun sinking in the sea
You can leave it all behind and sail to Lahaina
Just like the missionaries did so many years ago
They even brought a neon sign 'Jesus is Coming'
Brought the white man's burden down, brought the white man's reign
Who will provide the grand design, what is yours and what is mine?
'Cause there is no more new frontier, we have got to make it here
We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds
In the name of destiny and in the name of God
And you can see them there on Sunday morning
Stand up and sing about what it's like up there
They called it paradise, I don't know why
You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye
The Last Resort, one of the masterpieces of Eagles, is a thought-provoking song that describes the failure of human greed and the consequences of exploiting the environment. Starting with the first verse, the song introduces a woman from Providence, Rhode Island, who packs her hopes and dreams and crosses the sea to seek a better place. She heard about a land where people lived according to the morals of Native Americans, and she heads there with others who sought a place to stand or hide. After their arrival, the town was at its peak, and they called it paradise. However, from the crowded bars, the cold wind came, and the malfeasance that people brought with them disrupted the natural balance, and they eventually destroyed paradise.
People came to this amazing land to thrive and live their dreams. However, with time, their endless needs for power, possessions, and comfort overshadowed the natural beauty of the land. People's actions influenced the environment, and the land suffered from exploitation. The rich man raped the land, putting up ugly boxes leaving scars forever. The place where they called paradise became a metaphor for the destruction of our planet. The song ends with the realization that there is no more new frontier; we have to make our future here, now, before it's too late.
Line by Line Meaning
She came from Providence, the one in Rhode Island
She originated from the city of Providence in Rhode Island.
Where the old world shadows hang heavy in the air
The atmosphere in that area is heavily influenced by old world values and traditions.
She packed her hopes and dreams like a refugee
She fled with her aspirations and goals in a manner similar to that of a refugee.
Just as her father came across the sea
Her father had previously traveled across the sea in a similar fashion.
She heard about a place people were smilin'
She received information about a location where individuals were happy and content.
They spoke about the red man's way, how they loved the land
The inhabitants of that area were known to admire and respect Native American culture and their relationship with the environment.
And they came from everywhere to the Great Divide
People from different regions arrived at the Great Divide seeking a space to belong or hide.
Seeking a place to stand or a place to hide
People desperately needed a location where they could either establish themselves or take refuge.
Down in the crowded bars out for a good time,
Individuals sought entertainment and revelry in congested bars.
Can't wait to tell you all what it's like up there
They were enthusiastic to describe the greatness they found in that paradise-like place.
And they called it paradise, I don't know why
They referred to that area as a paradise, despite ambiguity surrounding that description.
Somebody laid the mountains low while the town got high
The natural ecology was destroyed while the town grew and flourished.
Then the chilly winds blew down across the desert
Winter winds traversed the barren desert region.
Through the canyons of the coast to the Malibu
The winds blew across the beach-lined canyons to Malibu.
Where the pretty people play hungry for power
Individuals with wealth and glamor in that area were fiercely power-hungry.
To light their neon way and give them things to do
They used neon light and other material pleasures to occupy themselves.
Some rich man came and raped the land, nobody caught 'em
A wealthy individual caused environmental destruction without being held accountable.
Put up a bunch of ugly boxes and, Jesus, people bought 'em
He put up unattractive buildings, yet people purchased them anyway.
And they called it paradise, the place to be,
Despite its negative impact on the environment, they still considered it an ideal place.
They watched the hazy sun sinking in the sea
They admired the beautiful sunset on the horizon.
You can leave it all behind and sail to Lahaina
Individuals could forget about their past and go on to live in Lahaina, Hawaii.
Just like the missionaries did so many years ago
This was a similar phenomenon experienced by missionaries traveling to Hawaii in the past.
They even brought a neon sign 'Jesus is Coming'
A neon sign with religious undertones was brought to that area.
Brought the white man's burden down, brought the white man's reign
The presence of this sign represented the oppressive presence of colonialism and white people in that area.
Who will provide the grand design, what is yours and what is mine?
Who will be responsible for creating a larger, more encompassing vision while distinguishing between individual and collective interests?
'Cause there is no more new frontier, we have got to make it here
There is no unexplored area, it is up to individuals to make positive changes in the current space they occupy.
We satisfy our endless needs and justify our bloody deeds
We frequently seek to satisfy our desires, even if it means committing destructive acts.
In the name of destiny and in the name of God
We use destiny and religious reasons to justify our actions.
And you can see them there on Sunday morning
On Sunday mornings, these people congregated.
Stand up and sing about what it's like up there
They would sing about their idealized version of paradise.
They called it paradise, I don't know why
The individuals referred to their ideal location as heaven, even though it was far from perfect.
You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye
When people equate a location to paradise, it is likely its downfall is inevitable.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: GLENN FREY, DON HENLEY
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind