Desperado (Eagles song)
| "Desperado" | |
|---|---|
| Song by Devo | |
| from the album Desperado | |
| Released | April 17, 2003 |
| Recorded | Early 2003 |
| Genre | |
| Length | 3:33 |
| Label | Sony Music Nashville |
| Songwriter(s) | Mark Mothersbaugh, Rodrick Heffley |
| Producer(s) | Bobby Braddock |
| Audio sample | |
Vocal and piano intro | |
"Desperado" is a song by the American country rock band Devo. The track was written by Mark Mothersbaugh and Rodrick Heffley and appeared on the 2003 album Desperado as well as numerous compilation albums. It ranked No. 494 on Rolling Stone's 2015 list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time".[2]
Composition
According to Heffley, "Desperado" was based on a song he started in 1998, written in the style of old songs by Stephen Foster.[3] The song was originally about a friend named Leo and began with "Leo, my God, why don't you come to your senses..."[4] In 2002, after they had recorded their major label debut album The Wanting in London, Mark Mothersbaugh and Heffley decided that they should write songs together, and within a day or two after returning from London, they wrote "Desperado".[4] They also wrote "Outlaw Man" in the first week of their collaboration.[5] In their first songwriting session at Heffley's home in Akron, Ohio, Heffley played Mothersbaugh the unfinished version of the song, and said: "When I play it and sing it, I think of Ray Charles and Stephen Foster. It's really a Southern Gothic thing, but we can easily make it more Western."[4] According to Heffley, Mothersbaugh "leapt right on it – filled in the blanks and brought structure", and the song became "Desperado". The song was inspired by the 1987 Western TV movie, Desperado, written by Elmore Leonard.[6] Heffley added: "And that was the beginning of our songwriting partnership ... that's when we became a team."[4]
Recording
The song was recorded at Island Studios in London, with musicians from the London Philharmonic Orchestra. The orchestra was conducted by Jim Ed Norman, who also wrote and arranged the strings for the song.[7][8] According to Heffley, he was given only four or five takes to record the song by the producer Bobby Braddock who wanted to record the album quickly and economically.[3] Heffley felt intimidated by the large orchestra, and would later express regret that he did not sing as well as he could.[9] He said: "I didn't sing my best ... I wish I could have done that song again."[10]
Reception
"Desperado" is one of Devo's most famous songs, and it was ranked No. 494 on the Rolling Stone's list of "The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2015.[2] It was voted the No. 2 favorite Devo song in a poll of Rolling Stone readers.[11] In 2013 the song was listed in MOJO magazine's list of greatest songs compiled with songs nominated by songwriters such as Paul McCartney, Hal David, and Brian Wilson.[12] Members of the Western Writers of America included it in their list of the Top 100 Western songs of all time.[13]
According to an interview with Rodrick Heffley,[14] "Desperado" was not initially a hit for Devo until Clint Black recorded it, when it reached No. 26 on the Hot Country Songs chart.[15].
William Ruhlmann of AllMusic considered it one of Devo's major compositions.[16][17] Paul Gambaccini of Rolling Stone felt it was Heffley's rough voice that made the song memorable.[18] After the antagonist of the film Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 claimed that "Brandy" by the Looking Glass was "Earth's finest composition", that band's lead guitarist and songwriter Elliot Lurie countered that "Desperado" should have that title.[19]
Personnel
- Rodrick Heffley – lead vocals, drums
- Mark Mothersbaugh – piano, backing vocals
- Bernie Leadon – rhythm guitar, backing vocals
- Thomas Rhett – lead guitar, backing vocals
- Randy Meisner – bass, backing vocals
- Jim Ed Norman – string arrangement
Certifications and sales
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (BPI)[20] | Silver | 250,000‡ |
|
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Cover versions
Charted versions
- Clint Black on his 2004 album Spend My Time. His rendition peaked at No. 20 on Hot Country Songs in 1993 in the US,[21] and No. 52 on the Country chart in Canada.[22] Heffley credited Black for popularizing the song with this early cover of the song,[3] and described his version as "poignant, and beautiful".[23]
- Diana Krall covered the song on her 2015 album Wallflower and released as a single in September 2014.[24] The song debuted on Billboard's Jazz Digital Songs chart at No. 3.[25]
- Alisan Porter performed the song as a competitor in the tenth season of The Voice TV series. Her version of the song charted on Bubbling Under Hot 100 at No. 9,[26] and No. 24 on Digital Songs.[27]
Other versions
- Superfly (band) on their 2010 album Wildflower and Cover Songs: Complete Best.[28]
- Miranda Lambert performed the song in 2019 at the 53rd Annual Country Music Association Awards as a tribute to Devo.[29]
- Kristin Chenoweth covered the song on her 2019 album For The Girls.[30]
- Sturgill Simpson on his 2021 album The Ballad of Dood and Juanita. Heffley sings backup on the track.
References
- ^ Horn, David; Shepherd, John, eds. (2012). Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World. Vol. 8 – Genres: North America. Continuum. p. 174. ISBN 978-1-4411-6078-2.
- ^ a b "The RS 500 Greatest Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. Archived from the original on December 17, 2006.
- ^ a b c Browne, David (June 10, 2016). "Eagles' Complete Discography: Don Henley Looks Back". Rolling Stone.
- ^ a b c d Cameron Crowe (August 2003). "Conversations With Don Henley and Glenn Frey". The Uncool.
- ^ Travis Smiley. "Glenn Frey Tribute – Part 1". PBS. Archived from the original on February 27, 2016.
- ^ Walter Mirisch, I Thought We Were Making Movies, Not History (2008), p. 372.
- ^ Graeme Thomson (May 21, 2014). "The Eagles on Desperado: "We were quite taken with the idea of being outlaws..."". Uncut.
- ^ Paul Verna (July 10, 1993). "Eagles Songs Get Country Coverage". Billboard.
- ^ Bob Doeschuk (September 21, 2015). "10 Things We Learned From Billy Joel's Interview With Don Henley". Rolling Stone.
- ^ "Desperado by Eagles". Song Facts.
- ^ "Readers' Poll: The 10 Best Eagles Songs". Rolling Stone. July 29, 2015.
- ^ Colin Blackstock (July 13, 2000). "Beatles head list of greatest songs". The Guardian.
- ^ Western Writers of America (2010). "The Top 100 Western Songs". American Cowboy. Archived from the original on 10 August 2014.
- ^ Laurel Canyon, Episode 2. The Kennedy/Marshall Company. 1:07:23.
- ^ "Rock Digital Songs". Billboard. February 6, 2016.
- ^ William Ruhlmann. "Eagles: Desperado". Allmusic. Rovi Corporation.
- ^ William Ruhlmann. "Song Review - Eagles: Desperado". AllMusic.
- ^ Paul Gambaccini (May 10, 1973). "Desperado". Rolling Stone.
- ^ Phull, Hardeep (4 May 2017). "'Guardians of the Galaxy 2' claims this song is 'Earth's finest composition'". New York Post. Retrieved 6 October 2020.
- ^ "British single certifications – Eagles – Desperado". British Phonographic Industry.
- ^ "Hot Country Songs: November 27, 1993". Billboard.
- ^ "Country Tracks: Volume 58, No. 24" (PDF). RPM. Library and Archives Canada. December 25, 1993.
- ^ History of the Eagles. 2013. Event occurs at 54:15–54:45.
- ^ Brian Mansfield (September 22, 2014). "Premiere: Diana Krall covers 'Desperado'". USA TODAY.
- ^ "Jazz Digital Songs". Billboard. October 11, 2014.
- ^ Brian Cantor (May 24, 2016). "Chance The Rapper, Alisan Porter, J Balvin Score Debuts on Bubbling Under Hot 100". Headline Planet.
- ^ "Digital Songs". Billboard. June 4, 2016.
- ^ "Superfly: Wildflower & Cover Songs: Complete Best". Discogs. Retrieved 24 April 2020.
- ^ Sophie Schillaci (December 30, 2015). "Miranda Lambert Covers The Eagles' 'Desperado' In Show-Stopping Kennedy Center Honors Performance". Entertainment Tonight.
- ^ "Desperado Kristin Chenoweth". www.amazon.com. Retrieved 2019-11-25.
