Behind The Song

The Unheralded Don Henley-Penned Eagles Gem He Says Was Too Good for Radio

Don Henley of Eagles is a pretty accomplished songwriter, and heโ€™s penned some of the bandโ€™s best country rock tunes through the years. Naturally, for a songwriter as well-lived as Henley, selecting a top favorite song is no easy feat. However, Henley once dished on his top favorite song that he wrote for Eagles; and unless youโ€™re a diehard fan, you may have never even heard the song in question.

In an interview with Debbie Kruger from back in 2017, Don Henley was pretty forthright about his love for the 2007 song โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€ from the Eagles album Long Road Out Of Eden. He said it was his favorite song, which is surprising, considering that the tune didnโ€™t come out of the bandโ€™s heyday in the 20th century. Nonetheless, the deep cut has a special place in Henleyโ€™s heart.

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โ€œThatโ€™s one of my favourite songs Iโ€™ve ever written, by the way,โ€ said Henley of โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€. โ€œYouโ€™ll never hear it played on the radio. Cause they never play the good ones on the radio.โ€

Don Henley Said That His Favorite Eagles Song, โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€, Was Too Good for Radio Play

Itโ€™s hard not to agree with Don Henley on the notion that โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€ isnโ€™t a radio-friendly song. It doesnโ€™t have the mainstream vibe of hits like โ€œTake It Easyโ€ or โ€œLife In The Fast Laneโ€. Those are, of course, incredible songs that got famous for a reason. But more often than not, a band or musicianโ€™s deep cuts will hide gems that are absolutely amazing, but not quite suitable for a broad audience.

It also doesnโ€™t help that โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€ clocks in at nearly eight minutes long. Thatโ€™s not exactly what radio stations are willing to add to their rotations in most cases. Either way, โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€ requires a bit of patience to appreciate. But itโ€™s very easy to appreciate.

โ€œWaiting In The Weedsโ€ is a song about losing touch with the world around you. Itโ€™s a mature, wise sort of track that Henley probably couldnโ€™t pen in his 20s if he tried. And itโ€™s worth at least one thorough listen if youโ€™re a fan of Eagles.

Photo by Clive Dix/Shutterstock 

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