The Eagles #MeToo Anthem – From 1979!
“For Years I’ve Seen ‘Em Come And Go
He Says, ‘I’ve Had ‘Em All, Ya Know”
These are lyrics from an Eagles song.
I’m a big fan of the band, and listen to their classic 70’s albums regularly…the final album from that era was this one:
“The Long Run” included the hits “Heartache Tonight”, “I Can’t Tell You Why” and the title track, but one album cut told the story of a very sleazy Hollywood Producer, whose actions speak to the recent #MeToo movement…
The Sleazy “King Of Hollywood”!
Glenn Frey and Don Henley wrote this story of a Hollywood Mogul who represents the worst of the entertainment business: promising to make young women stars – IF they are willing to sell their souls to the devil…
The song is a moody cautionary tale, with these lyrics:
“Well he sits up there on his leatherette
Looks through pictures of the ones
That he hasn’t had yet
When he thinks he wants a closer look
He gets out his little black telephone book
Come sit down here beside me honey
Let’s have a little heart to heart
Now look at me and tell me darlin’
How badly do you want this part?
Are you willing to sacrifice
And are you willing to be real nice
All your talent and my good taste
I’d hate to see it go to waste
We gon’ get you an apartment, honey
We gon’ get you a car
Yeah, we gon’ take care of you, darlin’
We gon’ make you a movie star
For years I’ve seen ’em come and go
He says, “I’ve had ’em all, ya know”
I handled everything in my own way
I made ’em what they are today
After ‘while, nothing was pretty
After ‘while, everything got lost
Still, his jacuzzi runneth over
Still, he just couldn’t get off
He’s just another power junky
Just another silk-scarf monkey
You’d know it if you saw his stuff
The man just isn’t big enough…”
“For Years I’ve Seen ‘Em Come And Go
He Says, ‘I’ve Had ‘Em All, Ya Know”
That echoes almost exactly what women have said that Harvey Weinstein told them…sickening.
These are powerful lyrics about the dark core of Hollywood, and the people who populate it. I had an audio-only live version from 1980 here, but the record label has now blocked it from being seen OR heard….sorry about that.
Frey and Henley’s song is so topical today…and it’s just one example of the songs they wrote about people who are living on the fringes, or selling themselves out:
The duo wrote this classic song after imagining a liaison inside a Hollywood restaurant…here is the true story of the creation of “Lyin’ Eyes”:
https://johnrieber.com/2016/01/19/glenn-freys-greatest-song-lyin-eyes-the-true-story/
The band had an incredible run of hit songs in the 70’s, and they lived a wild rock and roll life as well, something they candidly discussed on their terrific “History Of The Eagles” documentary:
I saw the “history” tour in 2013 – here’s a look at the show with a few videos:
https://johnrieber.com/2013/09/21/history-of-the-eagles-amazing-concert-old-friends-return/
Let me know what you think of “King Of Hollywood”…
Categories: 70's Music, Art, Books / Media, Classic Rock, Hollywood, Los Angeles, Memoirs, Music, Obscure Music, Talent/Celebrities
johnrieber 
long tours out the US nobody lives the Eagles like US!!!!
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Good review, thanks. The Eagles maybe weren’t as big in the UK as the USA, other than Hotel California which seems to be overplayed on radio nearly as much as Bohemian Rhapsody. I only recently bothered to buy the box set and was surprised to find this album was the one I played the most. I always liked I Can’t tell you Why, but it was surprise to find this hidden gem on there. It’s the most biting song on a pretty cynical album, and really nails those Weinstein-type scumbags who abuse their positions of power. The guitar work is excellent too.
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Thanks for the comment and the great insight! Cheers!
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The Eagles were already into there great success when I was born – unfortunately, 4 years later, they broke up. When I was 12 or 13 (can’t remember exactly when) my oldest sister (16/17) introduced me to Eagles’ Greatest Hits. That was it! I was hooked!
30 years later, The Eagles are in my top 3 favourite bands of all time. Pink Floyd and Lead Zeppelin being the other two bands.
I have many favourite songs written by The Eagles – Sad Cafe, Disco Strangler, Lyon’ Eyes. I mean – I love 98.5% of their songs, but my number one all time favourite has to be King of Hollywood. I really can’t pin point why – maybe because it’s a bit obscure. It’s definitely not one of there most popular as a whole, but I love it! ✌🏻🇨🇦
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Thanks for sharing this – it’s is a bit more obscure and that’s a shame because it was so prescient!
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I’ve been a fan of this song since the early 80’s and when the Weinstein thing broke, it just shot right through my brain. It should be re-released for the #Metoo movement. The Guitar work is also some of the best work from the band.
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Agree on both counts – thanks for the comment!
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When I see stories about Harvey Weinstein in the news, I think he’s exactly the kind of character the Eagles were singing about in “King Of Hollywood”. Back in ’79, Don Henley couldn’t have been more prophetic!
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Absolutely – the lyrics are exactly what he was accused of saying decades later….thanks for the comment!
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Many sleaze bags say those words to thousands of girls willing to give it all up for a starring role. Few see their “dreams” come true, most live the nightmare. We can fill in the blank with dozens of names. Droves of young kids leave the boredom of “any town” USA lured by fame and riches only to be swallowed by they Hollywood system.
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You are exactly right. Many know what they are getting into, many more hav Eno idea of how the system uses people.
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Don Hel
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Well done with remembering and establishing that connection, John. Prescient indeed!
Best wishes, Pete.
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Pete, the lyric echo exactly what Harvey Weinstein is accused of saying to young Actresses…it’s been a sickness in Hollywood since the beginning
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