The melody might seem like the basis of a track, but the lyrics are also important. After all, the tune might sound catchy, but the songwriting brings unique elements to the song’s soul. Every melody has a story to tell, and artists try their bests to produce well-written lyrics. It’s not always easy to write that, though.
The number of original songwriters in the industry is decreasing as most acts choose to buy lyrics from ghostwriters. Of course, some artists still compose and write their tracks, but the music market prefers to produce catchy melodies rather than focusing on the songwriting work.
Coming up with the right words is a challenging task. However, the Eagles‘ Don Henley has always been known for his well-crafted tracks. So, when he confessed the truth about his songwriting, it was surprising to learn about his struggles. Henley’s confession showed how difficult writing lyrics could be and who he had learned songwriting from.
Don Henley’s Struggle To Write Lyrics
Every successful act has primary songwriting duos from the Rolling Stones’ Mick Jagger and Keith Richards to Alice In Chains’ Layne Staley and Jerry Cantrell. So, when it comes to the Eagles, the names that might come up in our minds are probably Glenn Frey and Don Henley since they were the most well-known figures of the act.
The drummer’s musical talent made him a household name in rock, but it wasn’t always easy for Henley to write lyrics. The rocker admitted that he wasn’t a natural at songwriting, but he had the musical talent to improve himself. Henley was aware that his early projects as a songwriter weren’t the best, as he confessed to Billboard in 2013 that he initially had some difficulties.
“My band, Shiloh, had done a few singles,” said the rocker, referring to his former band before he joined the Eagles. “But I was a terrible songwriter when I got in this band.”
“I learned from Glenn [Frey] and J.D. Souther and Jackson Browne,” confessed Henley, sharing that all these names were incredibly helpful in improving his songwriting skills. “I’d done eight or nine years in bars and clubs and paid those dues, and we’d all done that.”
The drummer had a natural musical talent but didn’t know how to guide himself while writing lyrics. He wasn’t the best when he joined the Eagles, but he improved by observing and learning from Glenn Frey, J.D. Souther, and Jackson Browne. Henley always had the talent in him to be better.
