Don Henley Wrote Most of the Words to This Hit by Eagles While He Was Delirious in 1972

In 1972, Eagles released “Witchy Woman” as their second single. Following “Take It Easy”, Eagles’ debut single, “Witchy Woman” became the band’s first Top 10 single. It is part of their self-titled debut record.

“Witchy Woman” was written by band members Don Henley and Bernie Leadon. A song full of visual imagery, “Witchy Woman” begins with “Raven hair and ruby lips / Sparks fly from her fingertips / Echoed voices in the night / She’s a restless spirit on an endless flight.”

A well-crafted song, it’s surprising that Henley doesn’t really remember writing much of “Witchy Woman”. Leadon had the melodic idea, something he held onto from when he was part of The Flying Burrito Brothers.

 “I was living in an old house in the Hollywood Hills on the corner of Camrose and Tower, near the Hollywood Bowl,” Henley tells The Uncool. “Bernie was living way out in Topanga Canyon. But he came over one day and started playing this strange, minor-key riff that sounded sort of like a Hollywood movie version of Indian music. You know, the kind of stuff they play when the Indians ride up on the ridge while the wagon train passes below. It had a haunting quality, and I thought it was interesting. So we put a rough version of it down on a cassette tape.”

How Don Henley Having the Flu Inspired “Witchy Woman”

Shortly after hearing Beardon’s clip, Henley came down with the flu and a bad case of it.

“I had a very high fever and became semi-delirious at times — and that’s when I wrote most of the lyrics,” Henley recalls. “Every time the fever subsided, I would continue to read a new book I’d gotten on the life of Zelda Fitzgerald. And I think that figured into the mix somehow — along with amorphous images of girls I had met at the Whisky and the Troubadour.”

“Witchy Woman” not only became a big hit, but it also gave Henley a big confidence boost as well.

“An important song for me, because it marked the beginning of my professional songwriting career,” he says. “It went to No. 9 in the charts.”

Eagles also includes “Peaceful Easy Feeling”, another hit for Eagles. Still, it wasn’t until 1974 when they had their first No.1 hit, with “Best Of My Love”. That song was written by Henley, Glenn Frey, and JD Souther. It is the third and final single from On The Border, the band’s third album.

Photo Gijsbert Hanekroot/Redferns