The Eagles are a band that came together through unlikely circumstancesafter having their early lineup initially joined to help back famed singer Linda Ronstadt. Theirmusicwound up being a smash success, bursting with hit songs that topped sales charts during their ’70s heyday and beyond (leading to their greatest hits compilation beingthe best-selling classic rock album ever made). The group even managed to surviveone of the biggest breakups in classic rock band history, returning to play live again fourteen years after the infamous “Long Night at Wrong Beach” incident in 1980.
Despite only releasing one album since the ’70s concluded (2007’sLong Road Out of Eden) and the death of founding member Glenn Frey in 2016, the Eagles are one ofthe biggest classic rock bands still touring today(though their upcoming fall Las Vegas shows may be their last). Fellow founding member of the Eagles, vocalist/songwriter/drummerDon Henley, was recently asked to look back on the band’s big-hit-filled discography and pick some of his favorite songs. His top choicewould likely not be from the source that you’d expect.
Don Henley Cites “Waiting In The Weeds” As One Of His Favorite Songs He’s Written
Courtesy Of The Band’s Later Era Material
Henley cited “Waiting in the Weeds” from the Eagles' most recent studio album (2007’sLong Road Out of Eden) as not only one of his top choices from the band’s catalog, butone of his favorite songs he’s ever written. While it is a surprising selection given the strength of Eagles tracks such as “Hotel California,” “New Kid in Town,” “One of These Nights,” and “Take It Easy,” it’s not as though “Waiting in the Weeds” went critically unnoticed once the song was released, either.
Long Road Out of Edenwas nominated for multiple Grammy Awards after it came out, including “Waiting in the Weeds” for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group With Vocals. The acoustic-led, mid-tempo ballad highlighted by the Eagles' signature harmony vocals and Henley’s strong songwriting clearly has its share of fans, though in Henley’s mind, he felt the song never gained any recognition on the radiobecause it was “too good.”
Why “Waiting In The Weeds” Hasn’t Received Much Airplay
Quantity Comes Before Quality
Is Henley right to say “they never play the good ones on the radio” (his exact words), and that’s why “Waiting in the Weeds” won’t ever be heard in playlists on the format? The truth of the matter is ultimately much simpler to figure out. When it comes to radio stations and the varying styles that they choose to play, the longer that a song happens to be,the less likely you’ll be as a listener to hear it.
Radio station playlists are designed to be as efficient (and include as many ads) as possible. The more songs they want to play in every hour each day, the shorter the tracks have to be. “Waiting in the Weeds” is almost eight minutes long, and while there isn’t wasted time in the song,that won’t translate to most radio station formats. Some classic rock-oriented outlets might randomly throw in Lynyrd Skynyrd’s “Free Bird” or a shortened version of Prince’s “Purple Rain,” but that’s the exception, not the rule.
“Waiting In The Weeds” Is Much Deeper Than It May Seem
A Love Song With Nuance
When it comes to Henley’s songwriting on “Waiting in the Weeds,” it makes sense that he considers it a favorite, given how personal the song feels. On the surface, the track may seem like a simple ballad-laced track of romantic intent, but beneath there’s more than meets the eye (or ear in this case). Henley has said “Waiting in the Weeds” might only seem like a love song, butit’s also about the Eagles themselves as a bandand choosing their moment to return to the spotlight with a new album after years away.
Knowing that side of the written perspective adds even greater emotional resonance to “Waiting in the Weeds,“with themes of longing and patience becoming more profound, especially with an overarching feeling of an ache in the background related to the passage of time.Don Henleywas 60 at the point whenLong Road Out of Edenwas recorded, and there’s a certain sense of urgency in “Waiting in the Weeds” to say what needs to be said before the door closes for good.
