Desperate for it to end

The Eagles - Desperado

It may be considered a mark of success to be covered by 'Weird' Al Yankovic, as this song was (as Avocado). To be brief, this song was written by the Eagles' brains trust of Glenn Frey and Don Henley, was never released as a single, but still managed to become a live favourite and has been covered by half of christianity (but never by Yusuf Islam, meaning that the middle east market has been sadly unexploited). And it's absolutely rubbish. It sounds like Blue Valentines-era Tom Waits covered by a toothless hick, drunk on cheap bourbon, warbling on about the lonely spiritualism of an outlaw (in a bad way). Henley even rejected the cod cowboy-mysticalism of the song and it's eponymous album, saying that "'In retrospect, I admit the whole cowboy-outlaw-rocker myth was a bit bogus,' Henley said in 1987. 'I don't think we really believed it; we were just trying to make an analogy.'" (Rolling Stone).

I must be missing something, because I couldn't listen to it the whole way through, despite trying a few times. And yet, it's had the stamp of greatness bestowed upon it by Johnny Cash, who covered it on American IV: The Man Comes Around, Me First And The Gimme Gimmes, on Love Their Country, and Tori Amos (Who must have been high). It's also been covered by George Michael, Westlife, Linda Ronstadt and on American Idol. Maybe I'm not missing anything after all.

In short, this song is as bad as More Than A Feeling, our previous Worst Song Yet award holder, but it's not even as catchy. It's just.. completely arbitrary. Putting it above Shop Around is an insult to music everywhere. I can't even carry on writing about it.

Verdict: Absolute rubbish

Tomorrow: Then He Kissed Me - The Crystals