Desperado

Earlier this week I was surprised and confused to hear a contemporary-sounding country-western cover of the song Desperado. The arrangement of the song sounded exactly like the Eagles' version, except with different vocals. I imagined the singer's epiphany: "You know what this world really needs? One more cover of the song Desperado." I also felt irritated because I suspected this person was cashing in on the popularity of the song.

So I was relieved to discover today that the song I heard was most likely from Katy, Texas-native Clint Black, as part of a collaborative 1993 Eagles tribute album "Common Thread," on the Giant Records label.

Growing up in rural northern Wisconsin, country-western music was ubiquitous. It was played in the barn where my father and my uncle worked, it was played during the two hours I spent on the school bus each day (really), it was often played on the radio during family time spent in the car. For me, escaping country music was escaping my environment and finding peace. The songs never resonated with me.

The Eagles' song Desperado was one of the songs I remember enjoying from the eighties, hearing it played during the made-for-television country-western movies my father enjoyed watching.