You set it up so well, so carefully

What’s That Song?

If you guessed Lyin’ Eyes by the Eagles, you are correct!

Today’s Bill Campbell What’s That Song, written by Glen Frey and Don Henley, came to life in 1975 when the two were sitting at their favorite L.A. bar people watching. Frequented by many beautiful women, Frey and Henley began conversing about how some beautiful women cheat on their husbands. While perusing the crowd, they spied a gorgeous young woman with a wealthy, much older hefty man. At that point, Frey said, “She can’t even hide those lyin’ eyes.” Once Glen and Don started writing, the words began to flow and flow they did. The song was complete within two evenings when the two were sharing a house in Trousdale, Beverly Hills. Released as the second single from the One of These Nights album, Lyin’ Eyes peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, behind Island Girl by Elton John.

Did you know…

• Lyin’ Eyes is the only song on the One of These Nights album that Glen sang solo lead.
• Lyin’ Eyes crossed over to the Country chart reaching #8, the Eagles first on that chart and a feat few rock bands could have achieved in 1975
• The single version is significantly shortened from the album version, with the entire second verse, the second chorus and four lines in the middle of the third verse removed.
• A variety of artists have covered Lyin’ Eyes, including Lynn Anderson (1976), Kenny Rankin (1980), Diamon Rio (1993), and Dolly Parton on her 1976 variety show, Dolly!
• In the movie, Urban Cowboy, Lyin’ Eyes plays in the background on the diner scene when Sissy (Debra Winger) gets angry at Bud (John Travolta) for saying hello to the “sexy sister” played by Jerry Hall. The song is also included in the soundtrack.

Lyin’ Eyes

City girls just seem to find out early
How to open doors with just a smile
A rich old man
And she won’t have to worry
She’ll dress up all in lace and go in style

Late at night a big old house gets lonely
I guess every form of refuge has its price
And it breaks her heart to think her love is
Only given to a man with hands as cold as ice

So she tells him she must go out for the evening
To comfort an old friend who’s feelin’ down
But he knows where she’s goin’ as she’s leavin’
She is headed for the cheatin’ side of town

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin eyes

On the other side of town a boy is waiting
with fiery eyes and dreams no one could steal
She drives on through the night anticipating
‘Cause he makes her feel the way she used to feel

She rushes to his arms,
They fall together
She whispers that it’s only for awhile
She swears that soon she’ll be comin’ back forever
She pulls away and leaves him with a smile

You can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes

She gets up and pours herself a strong one
And stares out at the stars up in the sky
Another night, it’s gonna be a long one
She draws the shade and hangs her head to cry

She wonders how it ever got this crazy
She thinks about a boy she knew in school
Did she get tired or did she just get lazy?
She’s so far gone she feels just like a fool

My, oh my, you sure know how to arrange things
You set it up so well, so carefully
Ain’t it funny how your new life didn’t change things
You’re still the same old girl you used to be

You can’t hide your lyin eyes
And your smile is a thin disguise
I thought by now you’d realize
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes
There ain’t no way to hide your lyin’ eyes
Honey, you can’t hide your lyin’ eyes
(Lyin’ Eyes lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group)

Play along with us every weekday on the Big Boss Show with John Van Camp where you will get a shout out during the show and win absolutely nothing!

What do you think about today’s What’s That Song? Tell us in the comment section.

Comments

comments