Waiting in the Weeds

Running 7:46, "Waiting In The Weeds" finds Don Henley patiently waiting for a girl to come around and realize she's with the wrong guy. The song, though, is also an allegory for the band. After a spectacular run from 1971-1980, the Eagles flamed out even more spectacularly, with Henley saying the band would get back together when Hell froze over. It took 14 years, but they did return, this time at a much slower pace and with different priorities - the guys were now fathers. The didn't start working on a new album (Long Road Out Of Eden) until 2001, and didn't release it until 2007. Speaking with Billboard magazine after the album's release, Henley explained the meaning behind this song: "Here I am, just turned 60. I'm not complaining. I'm thrilled and delighted. None of us ever thought it would go on this long. But we are a determined bunch of guys. We take our time. We are not afraid of the passage of time, necessarily, and we've been sitting one out for a long time. That is kind of what 'Waiting In The Weeds' implies. Again, on the surface, that's a love song, but it's also about this band. We've just been sort of waiting for some of this bad music to die down, for certain trends to go away, so that we can get out there on the dance floor again. We are a band that knows how to bide its time, and how to wait."

Henley wrote this song with Eagles touring guitarist Steuart Smith, who also had a hand in writing the leadoff track from the album, "No More Walks in the Wood."

Eagles bass player Timothy B. Schmit told Songfacts this is one of his favorites to play live. "A sweet song, really, a jewel of the album," Schimt said of the track.