“Dirty Laundry” is one of Don Henley’s greatest hits—but it doesn’t come without controversy. The song, co-written by Henley and session musician Danny Fortchmar, was released in 1982 as the second single off his debut solo album, I Can’t Stand Still.
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The lyrics take aim at mass media, proclaiming how people love dirty laundry. But the second verse is particularly scathing, as Henley sings, We got the bubble-headed bleached-blonde / Comes on at five / She can tell you ’bout the plane crash with a gleam in her eye / It’s interesting when people die / Give us dirty laundry. Find out what inspired the song’s message below.
Meaning Behind the Song
“Dirty Laundry” holds no punches when it comes to Henley’s opinion about sensationalism in news, especially. “I’m a news junkie, I watch the news a lot,” the Eagles frontman said in a 1990 interview. “I got tired of seeing these talking heads up there stripping people of their dignity. I got tired of the sensationalism of the death of certain celebrities,” he said, referencing the deaths of high-profile figures including Marilyn Monroe, John Belushi, and Elvis Presley. “I just got sick of reporters running up to some grieving Mexican woman down in the barrio [neighborhood] whose child had just gotten shot in a gang fight and saying, ‘How do you feel about that?’ If that isn’t the most absurd question you could ask. So I decided to write a song about it.”
An Incident
Though the song offers a national perspective on the media, it also has personal connotations. The song was released two years after a disturbing incident that involved Henley and an underage girl. In November 1980, Henley was having a farewell party at his house after the Eagles announced they were going on hiatus. On November 21, Henley called the fire department when someone at the party was having what appeared to be a seizure.
When the fire department arrived, they found that it was a 16-year-old girl working as a prostitute who had overdosed on cocaine and Quaaludes. Henley was later arrested and charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. He received a fine of $2,500 and was put on probation for two years. The event caused a media frenzy around the singer.
“She was fine by the time they got there,” Henley said in a 1981 interview with GQ. “I had no idea how old she was. I had no idea that she was doing that many drugs; I didn’t have sex with her, you understand. Yes, she was a hooker; yes, I called a madam; yes, there were roadies and guys in my house-we were having a farewell to the Eagles.
“I got all of them out of the house; I took complete blame for everything,” he continued. “I was stupid; I could have flushed everything down the toilet. I didn’t want this girl dying in my house; I wanted to get her medical attention. I did what I thought was best, and I paid the price.”
Despite the controversy, “Dirty Laundry” became Henley’s first No. 1 hit as a solo artist. It reached the top of the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart and No. 3 on the Billboard Hot 100.
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