As sometimes happens, my inspiration has dried up tonight.  I was ready to give up, snuggle down in the rabbit hole and leave you sans music.  And then, I popped over to fellow-blogger Michael Seidel’s site just to see if perhaps he had any extra inspiration lying around.  Turns out, he did!  He had a flock of Eagles singing this song!  Thanks, Michael!!!  I owe you one {I actually owe him a few!}

Glenn Frey and Don Henley, both of the Eagles, wrote this song together, and Frey sang lead. Along with “Desperado,” it was one of two songs they came up with the first week that they started writing together. The songs formed the basis for a Western theme, with Frey and Henley comparing the life of a cowboy to that of a musician.

According to Frey, he was lying on a couch playing the guitar, and came up with a guitar riff he described as “kinda Roy Orbison, kinda Mexican”. He showed Henley the guitar riff and said: “Maybe we should write something to this.”

The title refers to a cocktail named Tequila Sunrise that was then popular.  According to Henley …

“I believe that was a Glenn title. I think he was ambivalent about it because he thought that it was a bit too obvious or too much of a cliché because of the drink that was so popular then. I said, ‘No-Look at it from a different point of view. You’ve been drinking straight tequila all night and the sun is coming up!’ It turned out to be a really great song.”

The line, “Take another shot of courage,” refers to how if you drink tequila, it will give you courage to talk to women (although not coherently). The Eagles, who knew their way around a tavern, used to refer to tequila as “instant courage” at a time then they needed some to approach the ladies.

The song only made it to #64 in the U.S. and #68 in Canada, but I still like it.

Tequila Sunrise
Eagles

It’s another tequila sunrise
Starin’ slowly ‘cross the sky
Said goodbye
He was just a hired hand
Workin’ on the dreams he planned to try
The days go by

Ev’ry night when the sun goes down
Just another lonely boy in town
And she’s out runnin’ ’round

She wasn’t just another woman
And I couldn’t keep from comin’ on
It’s been so long
Oh and it’s a hollow feelin’
When it comes down to dealin’ friends
It never ends

Take another shot of courage
Wonder why the right words never come
You just get numb
It’s another tequila sunrise
This old world still looks the same
Another frame

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Glenn Frey / Don Henley
Tequila Sunrise lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group