Desperado (Eagles song)

"Desperado"
Song

"Desperado" is a song by the rock band Eagles, written by Glenn Frey and Don Henley. It first appeared on the 1973 album Desperado, and has later appeared on numerous compilation albums.

Don Henley stated in the notes written in the booklet to Eagles' 2003 "The Very Best Of" compilation, that Desperado was a piece of a song that he had written in 1968. He said,

It was called something else, but it was the same melody, same chords. I think it had something to do with Astrology [Chuckles].

Accompanied by Glenn Frey on piano, the lead vocalist, Don Henley, begs the subject of the song, a "desperado", to return home, implies that this deperado is using pleasure to avoid dealing with his pain, and tells him that these pleasures will hurt him eventually.

Some Classic rock stations will play this song immediately following "Doolin Dalton" and then afterwards, segue into the "Doolin Dalton/Desperado" reprise.

While this is one of the Eagles' signature songs, it was never released as a single. "Desperado" was voted #494 in the List of Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.

Covers

• George Michael performed the song on his 1991 Cover To Cover tour.
• Linda Ronstadt - on her 1973 album Don't Cry Now
• The Carpenters - on their 1975 album Horizon
• The Langley Schools Music Project - a combination of students from Wix-Brown Elementary School in Canada and their music teacher, Hans Ferger, recorded privately in 1977 and included in the 2001 compilation album The Langley Schools Music Project
• Judy Collins - on her 1979 album Hard Times for Lovers
• Chris Ledoux - on his 1982 album Used To Want To Be A Cowboy
• Pop Design (Slovenian band) - on their 1993 albums Ko si na tleh (When you're Feeling Down) and Dreams
• Clint Black - on the 1994 tribute album Common Thread: The Songs of the Eagles.
• Ken Hirai - B-side of hit single "Hitomi wo Tojite".
• Johnny Cash - on his 2002 album American IV: The Man Comes Around
• Jill Johnson - on her 2003 album Roots and Wings
• The Dead - played on their 2004 summer tour, with Warren Haynes on lead vocal. They debuted the song at Deer Creek Music Center in Noblesville, IN. on 7.25.04. Prior to playing the song, Bob Weir dedicated this to Linda Ronstadt, who had also covered the song and had been unceremoniously cut short at a performance in Las Vegas for criticizing George W. Bush just days before.
• Third season American Idol contestant Camile Velasco, during Country week.
• Carrie Underwood - at the 2007 Grammy Awards.
• Emi Fujita on her 2006 album Camomile Classics.
• Me First and the Gimme Gimmes on their 2006 album Love Their Country.
• Suzi Quatro Released a cover and video in 2007.
• Stephen Fox
• Joan Baez, BZN, Johnny Rodriguez, and Kenny Rogers have all covered "Desperado".
• "Weird Al" Yankovic recorded an unreleased parody of "Desperado" entitled "Avocado". The song is only a partially done as a 'Food Medley' and performed only in concerts, however.
• Sarah Bolger sang the song in the film In America.
• Power Metal band At Vance covered the song on their 2001 Album Early Works - Centers.
• Ray Wilson sang the song on his album "Live and Acoustic"
• Westlife in their 2005 album Face to Face.
• KOKIA on her 2005 best album pearl~The Best Collection~.
• Superfly on her 5th single titled Hi-Five as a b-side performed live for iTunes (2008)
• Celtic Thunder member Ryan Kelly on the album Celtic Thunder (2008)
• Higher Tier a 4 piece band from Liverpool, UK also covered the track
• Tori Amos covered this song for her 2003 Oxygen (TV channel) (Oxygen Custom Concert) special.