Why Don Henley Was ‘Delirious’ When He Wrote The Eagles’ ‘Witchy Woman’

On the surface, The Eagles’ “Witchy Woman” is one of the thousands of classic rock songs about a woman who is both evil and irresistible. What makes it different from many of its peers is that The Eagles’ Don Henley wasn’t in his right mind when he wrote it.  Interestingly, The Eagles’ “Witchy Woman” was inspired by several real people — including one celebrity.

Don Henley said faux Native American music inspired The Eagles’ ‘Witchy Woman’

During a 2003 interview with The Uncool, Henley discussed writing The Eagles’ “Witchy Woman.” “I was living in an old house in the Hollywood Hills on the corner of Camrose and Tower, near the Hollywood Bowl,” the “Boys of Summer” singer recalled. “Bernie [Leadon] 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. 

“Shortly after that, I came down with the flu,” he added. “I had a very high fever and became semi-delirious at times — and that’s when I wrote most of the lyrics. Every time the fever subsided, I would continue to read a new book I’d gotten on the life of [F. Scott Fitzgerald’s wife] Zelda Fitzgerald, and I think that figured into the mix somehow.”

Don Henley said the song was about several ladies

Henley said that the title character from “Witchy Woman” was inspired by some of the ladies he met at Whisky a Go Go (a club famous for being on the cutting edge of rock ‘n’ roll) and the Troubadour, a club more associated with folk music. One could argue that the song plays on a misogynistic portrayal of witches that has shown up again and again in Western cultures. It also paved the way for the diabolical woman from The Eagles’ magnum opus, “Hotel California.”

Henley said he felt like he had stumbled upon “Witchy Woman” and that it was a critical moment for him as a songwriter. His comments are interesting, given how slick the song’s production is. If “Witchy Woman” is the sound of Henley stumbling up a song, we can only imagine what it sounds like when Henley carefully crafts a tune.

The Eagles’ ‘Witchy Woman’ took over the radio

“Witchy Woman” reached No. 9 on the Billboard Hot 100 and stayed on the chart for 13 weeks. It was the band’s first top-10 single in the United States. The tune appeared on the album Eagles. That record peaked at No. 22 on the Billboard 200 and lasted on the chart for 49 weeks.

The album Eagles produced a few other hits. One was “Take It Easy,” which reached No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and lasted on the chart for 11 weeks. Meanwhile, “Peaceful Easy Feeling” reached No. 22 and charted for 12 weeks. The Eagles’ self-titled album wasn’t massively successful, but it paved the way for the band to become one of the biggest acts of the 1970s.

Henley wrote The Eagles’ “Witchy Woman” when he was delirious — and the song remains a delirious delight.