Eagles-Desperado Album--my interpretation

Alright, so ive written a track break-down of all the songs on the Desperado album. This is a great album (possibly my favorite of the Eagles, tho I listen to so much eagles its hard to determine), ive listened to it for quite some time now, and have been able to figure out most of it (its a concept album). Aside from a little Western History (that focuses on the Dalton brothers of the old west)* The album seems to focus a lot on love and life itself. I just dont understand where they cross, a bunch of criminal outlaws, as sung about for the first several songs (Easy money, faithless Women, red eye whiskey for the pain), then it pretty much goes into the story of actually falling in love and "whatever happened to Saturday night?" and it ending with Bitter creek..where is turning point?? It goes from talking about living free (in a no love and a shoot em up outlaw sense) and then goes onto talking about solid love and heartbreak? Doesn't really go back into the cowboy-storyline.


First as a little history which is what this album is seemingly based upon, is the Dalton brothers (aka the Dalton Gang), very famous outlaws of the old west that came from Jackson city, Missouri. There were 4 brothers, (Grat, Bob, Emmett, and Bill), free living train and bank robbing wild boys. Grat Bob and Emmett took after their older brother Frank, who was a lawman, who was earlier killed in the line of duty. Due to various incidents that occurred, they were all out of the duty of police fairly quickly, and thus found themselves on the other side of the law hence the "Dalton Gang" they were often referred too. Bob killed his first man at the age 19 (while still a deputy). After Bob (for the first time for them) brought liquor into the Indian territory, and Grat was arrested for taking horses, they awoled from the police force, and formed their own gang. They eventually recruited; Charley Pierce, Blackfaced Charlie Bryant, and George "Bitter Creek" Newcomb. Bill Doolin, Bill Power and Dick Broadwell later joined the gang as well. After months of armed robbery, train robbing, living free with "Faithless Women" and "Easy Money", Booze, getting arrested, escaping the cops etc. Finally one day, it all caught up with them. In Coffeyville, Kansas, they never saw it coming. They ran into one of their planned bank robberies, came out, and the townspeople started shooting, in the process killing; Grat Dalton, Bob Dalton, Dick Broadwell, and Bill Power.

Survivors were: Emmet Dalton, "Bitter Creek" Newcomb, Charlie Pierce, and Bill Doolin. Emmet Dalton was shot 23 times, and survived. He was sentenced to life in prison, but only served 14 years for he was pardoned. He went on to live a settled more normal (by standard) life, and dying at the age of 66. Then with credentials of being an author, actor, and real estate agent. That was the basic, un-detailed story of the Dalton gang from the late 1800's.

I believe the Desperado album may not stop at the history of the Dalton brothers, it covers a lot of love, a lot of life as being an outcast, and a lot of variable factors that show me that the album is about so much more then just only the old West.


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Here is the track breakdown and what i feel it is about gathered from listening to the lyrics, and samples of the lyrics, so you can interpret your own sum up of the album:



1. Doolin Dalton: "Go down Bill Dalton it must be God's will, two brothers lyin dead in Coffeeville, lay down your lawbooks now their no damn good"

"Better keep on movin, Doolin-Dalton, til your shadows, set you free"

"Til Bill Doolin, met Bill Dalton, he was workin cheap, just bidin time, then he left, and said im goin, and left that peaceful, life behind"

Basically, in this song, the plot of the story was summed up. There is little relevance in this song, to anything except the story, so going further would only be repeatative.




2. Twenty-one:

I might spend my life upon the road
Just tryin' to add to what I know
Then someday I might settle down
And all my friends will be around


They say a man should have a stock and trade
But me, I'll find another way
I believe in getting what you can
And there ain't no stoppin' this young man

21 is a song based upon the idea of living free, not having any reason to settle down, or even die. Essentially, its a teenager song. Remember those days so many years ago when we all thought we were free, young, and nothing could harm or touch us? which I guess breathes the song of an outlaw, how they live fast, young, carefree. Great song, very upbeat, added banjos, beautiful.





3. Out of Control:

My FAVORITE part goes: "Oh my dont the sky look spacious, with the stars all shinin down,well I can hear the night wind howlin, Its a high and lonesome sound" :: of course, that sounds like an innocent lead to a song that has a very different thesis realistically.

The song, is essentially about an old time booty call, SEX! He complains about not having a woman in so long,and how he "can't feed his starvin soul" says " come on saddle up boys, were gonna ride into town and get a little outta control". He finds a barmaid, who he gives a silver dollar too , and she buys him a drink. "Shes cool water, her mama taught her, I got news shes mine and mine alone" and being willing to fight any man who is going to mess that up for him, and sleep with her instead. Obviously someone is having some testosterone issues :). Funny song, I can see the real life connection (not to me, but to many that I know) mixed with, the interpretation of the life as a member of the Dalton Gang.

????
The song makes it sound like a booty call, whereas in the story of the next song, it sounds like two people are settled down together...






4. Tequila Sunrise:

A very popular radio hit, this song is either about:

-one of the guys women cheating on him, and not being able too say anything to her because he isn't ballsy enough.


-a Hangover, after a long night of sex and alcohol, and that she will be out running around soon looking for her next.

I believe, its probably about one of the Dalton gang falling for a girl a little too much. Even though that is not a part of their lifestyle. It seems at this point as if the albums "story" is focusing more on accidentally falling in love, instead of the story of the gang. At this point, it kind of throws me to a certain degree.






5. Desperado:

Desperado was huge, my brother and I were lucky in June 2010 to go see The Eagles live, and this was the double-encore and final song. Everyone tweaked, Mike tried to take off, and i stopped him from going anywhere, because the Eagles would never do a show without singing Desperado. LOL!
Anyways, Desperado to define is an outlaw..but mostly, this song is solely based on not wanting to be loved, or not finding the right person by choice to put in other terms. Being a person who has spent most of her life BEING this song by various reasons, I can interpret this one well, and relate to it on such a level. (Plus having to had been preached this for my entire 20-something years, except for that brief period that i wasn't single)

"Dont you draw the queen of diamonds boy, she'll beat you if shes able, you know the queen of hearts is always your best bet, it seems to me some fine things, have been laid upon your table, now you only want the ones, that you can't get, Desperado" :: Its saying to take advantage of the finer things out there, instead of playing on the safe side, and not risking yourself in falling for anyone, its saying to make sure and settle down for that right person in life.

"and freedom, oh freedom, well thats just some people talkin, your prison is walking through this world all alone, dont your feet get cold in the wintertime, the sky wont snow and the sun wont shine, its hard to tell the nighttime from the day":: Its saying that the true freedom lies in finding the right person in life, you may be single and free otherwise, but living life alone with no one to love is a punishment. The babbling about the skies and sun, its saying that you will have someone to keep your soul warm in the wintertime, and that will lighten up your life and make things "brighter" for you, but for now, your going to miss out on that feeling by not knowing the nighttime from the day.

I think you all get the idea of the subject of this song.


(side two, for the tape and vinyl-type-folks)






6. Certain Kind of Fool:

Joe Walsh headed this song, wheras Don Henley headed most of them, as also Glenn Fry and the other "partial" Eagles, im hearing very little Tim Schmitt on these tracks though.

This song brings the story back to the West! It reminds me of quite a few things to use to interpret it: One is, any kind of gang involvement. It describes how to get started in the life of a gangster. I have a friend, who was once in a gang, and reading this story, kind of reminds me of his story he has told me in the past. The other thing it is related too, is the movie "Goodfellas" with Robert Deniro and Ray Liotta (1990 I believe). There is a scene when Ray Liotta's character is growing up, and he narrates about how getting respect is the most important thing that has happened to him, in addition to making a large amount of money at a young age, this song actually, tho made almost 20 years before, is very much the SAME EXACT story as depicted in that scene in the movie.

The only discussion of love in this portion, is "the kind that no lady should meet" saying hes a very dangerous boy who "had a craving, for something no one else could see". Also at the end, it talks about how he didnt originally do it for the money, or the running, but hes in constant running now a days.






7. Doolin Dalton (instrumental):

An Instrumental needs no description to tell this story, but the flow between track 6 and 8, sounds like one solid track thanks to this song. Its beautiful, lots of pretty banjos :)





8. Outlaw man:

Back to love, and outlaw-goodness combined in it. "Woman don't try to love me, don't try to understand, a life upon the road is the life of an outlaw man"

"I am an outlaw, I was born an outlaw's son, the highway is my legacy, on the highway i will run. One hand I've a bible, in the other ive got a gun" "all my friends are strangers, they quickly come and go" Hes saying that the life he lives, is no life for a Woman, and there is nothing to change the person he is, living and breathing his life of freedom and flaky people, and shooting people.

"Some men call me sinner, Lord, some men call me saint" This sort of reminds me of Robin hood, stealing from the rich and giving to the needy, although I am confident by saint he means, respect in the Dalton Gang. Not exactly sure. This is an odd song, but it has a very basic message.






9. Saturday night:

This song REALLY REALLY throws me off the story line, here im going to do my best, but im certain that it isnt going to really make much sense, being the repetitive predictability of this album so far.

"Whatever happened, to Saturday night? Finding a sweetheart, and holding her tight? she said tell me, oh tell me, was I alright?, whatever happened to Saturday night?" Isn't Saturday night a night representing a night of party, freedom, and celebrating the end of the work week? according to this song, its quite the opposite of that. Finding someone you love, reversing the role of the "Saturday night".

The beginning goes:

Seems like a dream now, it was so long ago
The moon burned so bright and the time went so slow
And I swore that I loved her and gave her a ring
The bluebird was high on the wing

Its like, he once loved her, and then doesnt anymore. I am not sure if this is reverting back to a time where there was once some kind of love, and reminiscing? Or maybe..as a twist, if there is no girl, but his love for the gang, his love for money, is what he is reffering too?

Or, another theory, is at some un-sung part, the character did fall in love, but missed his old lifestyle in this song, but the chorus doesnt tell me that at all.

Definitely need help understanding this song, it kind of goes away from the whole theme of the story.






10. Bitter creek:

Bitter creek, tho also confusing (especially after being thrown from the last song), kind of sounds like a double meaning. Bitter Creek first of all, referring to earlier small history lesson, was in fact the nickname of George Newcomb (George "Bitter Creek" Newcomb, who in fact was a survivor of the shooting. Also, Bitter creek, I can't help but automatically think of the term bitter being used in any kind of "after love is over" setting. This is my area of experiences, as my last relationship ended in bitterness being thrown back and forth like a boiling potato. In the song, he says "an old man told me, tryin to scold me, wooahh son dont wade to deep, in Bitter Creek" "Oh peyote, she tried to show me, there aint no cost to weep, at bitter creek" no idea how George Newcomb got his nickname, but its merely referenced in this song.

another part goes:

We're gonna hit the road for one last time
We can walk right in and steal 'em blind
All that money (All that money,ooh..)
No more runnin' (No more runnin')
I can't wait to see the old man's face
When I win the race

Im thinking the old man was trying to tell him not to be a jackass, dont come in and rob other people because your bitter that your brother was killed in the line of duty, or that you were thrown out of being a lawman, tho i dont know, this went straight from a love song, on back to a song where i am not sure if this is love, or about the Dalton gang again. Help???






11. Doolin Dalton/Desperado reprise:

This one says that life is the same for them, they will live this way, they will die this way, then it talks about them "going down",meaning, this life will (and did most of them) kill them one day, but that its life "4 men go down but only 3 come back" then it immediately hops into Desperado, how the Queen of diamonds let him down, going back to the statement of LOVE STINKS!!! He never "met" the right one, tho at one point, he beleives that he did. This is an important closing to the story, the ending of love, the ending of the life of the Dalton gang, and how love wasnt all its cracked up to be. A diehard eagles fan like myself, only sees people that hear the original desperado, doesnt see the people that read the lyrics to this song, and love ended up burning them at the end, and the singer ate his words, but the background voices, said "maybe tomorrow" meaning, not to give up hope. Here are all the lyrics to that song, so you can read it for yourself.

Well the stage was set the sun was sinkin' low down
As they came to town to face another showdown
The lawmen cleared the people from the streets
"All you blood -thirsty bystanders, will you try to
find your seats?"
Watch 'em duelin'
Doolin-Dalton
High or low ,it's all the same
Easy money and faithless women
You will never kill the pain

Go down, Bill Doolin, don't you wonder why
Sooner or later we all have to die?
Sooner or later, that's a stone-cold fact,
Four men ride out and only three ride back
(THEN ONTO THE DESPERADO PORTION)

The queen of diamonds let you down,
She was just an empty fable
The queen of hearts you say you never met
Your twisted fate has found you out
And it' fin'lly turned the tables
Stole your dreams and paid you with regret
Desperado
(Is there gonna be anything left, is there gonna be anything?)
You sealed your fate up a long time ago
(Ain't it hard when you're all alone in the center ring?)
Now there's no time left to borrow
(Is there gonna be anything left?)
Only stardust
(Maybe tomorrow)
Maybe tomorrow
Maybe tomorrow
Desperado
Desperado



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A song that could have easily been added to the mix, tho from a different artist...is "With a gun" by Steely Dan. "I could be wrong but I have seen your face before, you are the man that i saw running through the store, you owed him money but you gave him so much more, with a gun".

With a gun
With a gun
You will be what you are just the same
Did you pay the other man with the piece in your hand
And leave him lying in the rain?

When you're born to play the fool
And you've seen all the western movies
Woe to the one who does you wrong


Even without the "Western Movie" reference, this song could have easily fit in this album.

Anyways, questions, comments, interpretations, critiques, and mostly, figuring out the last 3 tracks would be awesome!! Thanks anyone that took the time to read this, your a trooper, and I appreciate someone reading something that took so much time and thought, and personal experience to write.





*Wikipedia.com-http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desperado_(album) (for the Western history portions, I cited Wikipedias other page on The Dalton gang, copied some lyrics, tho most of them I did know, everything else, was out of my own mind)