The Meaning Behind The Song: The Garden Of Allah by Don Henley

Don Henley, co-founder and drummer of the Eagles, released his third solo album “The End of the Innocence” in 1989. The album’s title track was a hit, but it was the closing track “The Garden of Allah” that caught people’s attention. The song, which runs for over seven minutes, is a dark and foreboding track that tackles a range of heavy subjects. Let’s explore the meaning behind the lyrics and why the song still resonates with listeners today.

Table of Contents

The Lyrics: A Breakdown

The song’s lyrics are dense, and it can be challenging to discern their meaning at first listen. Henley’s lyrics tackle themes like greed, corruption, and the dangers of celebrity culture. The song’s opening verse sets the tone for what’s to come:

“It was a pretty big year for fashion
A lousy year for rock and roll
The people gave their blessings to crimes of passion
It was a dark, dark night of the collective soul.”

Henley starts with a nod to the cultural zeitgeist of the late ’80s, where MTV and the fashion industry held sway. He juxtaposes it with the sad state of rock music, which was in a bit of a downturn at the time. He then casts a wider net, indicting society’s embrace of “crimes of passion” and describing the collective soul as dark.

Henley’s lyrics then take on a more explicit critique of greed and corruption, with lines like:

“The vultures and urinals take their places one by one
The cunning and the crooked shall sail away
From the garden of Allah.”

Henley uses some vivid imagery here, equating corrupt individuals to vultures and urinals and condemning them to sail away from the titular Garden of Allah, which is a location in Islamic tradition that represents paradise.

As the song progresses, Henley touches on other topics, including the appeals of hedonism and the futility of seeking utopia through technology:

“Don’t you know there ain’t no devil
That’s just God when he’s drunk
Well, this stuff will probably kill you
Let’s do another line
What you say you meet me down at the
Palace "Invisible" tonight?”

These lines paint a dim picture of the players in this song’s world and the different ways they try to find solace in their vices.

The song then closes with a haunting, almost psychedelic outro, where Henley repeats the phrase “the further I get from the things that I care about, the less I care about how much further away they are” as the music becomes more chaotic.

The Inspiration Behind The Song

Henley has been relatively tight-lipped about the inspiration behind “The Garden of Allah,” preferring to let the song speak for itself. Still, there are a few clues about what may have influenced the track.

One theory is that the song is Henley’s commentary on life in Hollywood. Henley relocated there in the ’80s and likely witnessed firsthand the excess and corruption that can come with living in the entertainment industry’s heartland. The song’s references to the “palace invisible” and the “garden of Allah” could be nods to Hollywood landmarks that are famous for their exclusivity and hedonism.

Another influence on the song may have been Henley’s growing interest in environmental activism. He became known for his environmental activism in the ’90s, and several of his solo tracks touched on the topic, including “The End of the Innocence” and “New York Minute.” In “The Garden of Allah,” Henley references environmental degradation directly:

“They say everything can be replaced
Yet every distance is not near
So I remember every face
Of every man who put me here
I see all my noble champions
Fading into the sunset
I see all my lovely ladies
Out walking with some
Fool to take their hand
Racing through the green fields
As they ran down to the beach
Combing memories out of
Reach.”

This verse lays bare some of the song’s melancholic tone while also proposing that everything has its time and place. Henley seems to suggest that society’s greed and excess are unsustainable and that a day of reckoning is coming.

FAQs

1. What is The Garden of Allah?

The Garden of Allah is a term used in Islamic tradition to describe paradise. In the song, it serves as a symbol of an unattainable utopia.

2. What is the meaning of “crimes of passion” in the song?

Henley uses the term “crimes of passion” to describe society’s embrace of destructive behavior and the consequences that come with it.

3. Is “The Garden of Allah” about Hollywood specifically?

While Henley has not confirmed this directly, the song’s imagery and themes suggest it could be a commentary on life in Hollywood and the excesses associated with it.

4. What inspired Don Henley to write “The Garden of Allah”?

Henley has not spoken explicitly about what inspired the song, but its imagery and themes suggest it could be a critique of societal excess and greed.

5. Why is the song still relevant today?

The song’s themes of greed, excess, and the dangers of utopian thinking remain relevant today, and its haunting lyrics and imagery continue to resonate with listeners.

6. What other songs of Don Henley tackle environmental issues?

Other Don Henley songs that touch on environmental issues include “The End of the Innocence” and “New York Minute.”

7. What is the significance of the phrase “the further I get from the things that I care about, the less I care about how much further away they are”?

This phrase is a potent expression of how detachment can lead to apathy and disillusionment.

8. What does Don Henley mean when he says “Don’t you know there ain’t no devil, that’s just God when he’s drunk”?

This line can be interpreted in a few different ways, but it suggests that what some people might see as evil or malevolent behavior is a result of divine will.

9. What is the role of technology in “The Garden of Allah”?

Henley critiques the idea that technology can lead to utopia in the song, suggesting instead that it can be just as much of a dead end as any other pursuit.

10. What is the significance of the song’s closing?

The song’s chaotic outro reinforces the idea that what seems important in the moment may ultimately dissolve into madness and chaos.

11. Who were some of Henley’s influences when writing “The Garden of Allah”?

While Henley has not spoken directly about his influences for the song, its themes and imagery suggest that he may have been inspired by writers like Hunter S. Thompson and William S. Burroughs.

12. Was “The Garden of Allah” a hit when it was released?

The song was not a commercial hit, but it has become a cult favorite over the years and remains a staple of classic rock radio.

ncG1vNJzZminnJnBqrnEpqysoZNjsLC5jq2fnmWdmq6vtc2gZJudmJ67pXnToZxmq5%2BjtG7Ax55koJmimbKvec6fZJqknJa1bq7YZpuopl2dsq%2B4xLJm