The music industry has never been known for kindness. What looks like a glamorous world of guitars, stages, and spotlights is, behind the scenes, often cutthroat. Beneath every classic hit lies a mess of contracts, backroom deals, and power struggles. And few understood that reality better than Don Henley.
Henley, the creative heartbeat of The Eagles, came into the industry with a passion for music—but he quickly learned that talent wasn’t enough. In a world full of middlemen, lawyers, and opportunists, even the biggest bands could find themselves at the mercy of ruthless forces. It wasn’t just about making music anymore—it was about surviving the business.
Some of those battles were internal. Henley’s long-running tension with guitarist Don Felder, largely over royalties and credit, revealed how money could fracture even the most successful partnerships. But while critics might accuse Henley of being controlling, his music often fought for the underdog. His solo work painted vivid pictures of working-class Americans fighting to stay afloat—and sometimes, it turned its fury directly toward the suits behind the scenes.
That fury came to a head on the Eagles’ long-awaited comeback album, Long Road Out of Eden. The double LP marked a rare return for the band, blending Henley’s introspective solo sensibilities with the band’s legendary harmonies. Among the standout tracks was “Business As Usual”, a scathing indictment of the legal profession and corporate greed.
Henley didn’t mince words. Speaking of the inspiration behind the song, he said:
“A portion of the song is also a reference to the legal profession—the utter ruthlessness of it. Some of the most contemptible, soulless scumbags to ever ‘practice’ law have offices in Century City. They’ll probably take that as a compliment.”
With lines like that, the song felt less like a protest and more like a vendetta. Set against the Eagles’ polished instrumentation, the lyrics struck with venom—a stark contrast to the lighter tone of Joe Walsh’s “Last Good Time in Town” on the same record. Henley himself later admitted the album could have used some tightening up, and “Business As Usual” might’ve hit even harder as part of his solo catalog, stripped of the Eagles’ signature sheen.
Still, the message was crystal clear. While The Eagles could harmonize like angels, “Business As Usual” proved they weren’t afraid to sound like devils when the moment called for it.
