说到Don Henley(唐亨利)有些人或许会感到陌生， 但一提起他所属的乐团 The Eagles(老鹰合唱团)便不得不竖起大拇指啧啧称道这支美国流行乐坛最有创意也最成功的乐团之一。 而主唱Don Henley更是主导整个The Eagles音乐方向的重要舵手。





50、60年代， 那许维尔的WLAC电台以清晰且多样化的音乐播放在气氛绝佳的夜晚一点一滴地传进Don Henley小小世界中。 而俄克拉荷马市KOMA电台以及知名主持人Wolfman Jack 每晚的深夜节目从德州墨西哥的边境传出，跨越600公里传入Henley小小的收音机里，每晚他都将收音机放在被单下面，贴紧着耳朵倾听直到凌晨时分。 后来猫王崛起并带来了Chuck Berry、Little Richard、Jerry Lee Lewis、Fats Domino、Bobby Freeman、Chuck Willis、Bobby Blue Bland等人的歌声，而接下The Beatles的出现则让Don Henley的生活从此改变。

高中时代Henley与朋友Richard Bowden、Jerry Surratt共组了他的第一个乐团The Four Seeds(后来改名为Shiloh)，成员还包括了Jim Ed Norman(两人在北德州大学认识， 目前是华纳唱片公司纳许维尔的总裁）。 1970年他们在独立唱片公司Amos旗下发行了第一张专辑，而1971年的秋天他们组成了The Eagles， 以融合乡村、民谣、节奏蓝调与流行乐带出独特且前卫的美国音乐风格。 在他们长达10年的演唱生涯中，全球唱片销售量不但超过一亿，他们还赢得了4座葛莱美奖、5次专辑榜冠军， 也是历史上第1个拥有两张全美销售量超过1000万张专辑的团体。

其后Don Henley展开了个人演艺事业，成绩一样惊人。 1982年时推出的个人首张专辑《I Can`t Stand Still》以他在旋律上的天赋及歌词中所传递的热情信念、敏锐的社会政治观点， 使这张专辑成为当代最具代表性、最引人共鸣及最有音乐性的声音。 接下来于84年、89年推出的《Building The Perfect Beast》及《The End Of The Innocence》更让他拿下葛莱美奖最佳摇滚男艺人的奖项。可惜的是Don Henley自1989年后就暂停了所有的演唱活动， 并投身于环保工作当中。虽然在唱片公司缺席了将近10年之久，但是随着时间的历练Don Henley的音乐节奏、结构、情绪与内容方面更较以往平衡， 并以一贯的特色推出2000年最新专辑《Inside Job》。

The heart of the matter
歌手：Don Henley

I got the call today
That I didn't wanna hear
But I knew that it would come
An old, true friend of ours was talkin' on the phone
She said you'd found someone
And I thought of all the bad luck,
and the struggles we went through
And how I lost me and you lost you
What are these voices outside love's open door
Make us throw off our contentment
and beg for something more?
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you sometimes
The more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I knew, I'm learning again
I've been tryin' to get down
to the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
and my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about...forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me anymore
Ah...these times are so uncertain
There's a yearning undefined
and people filled with rage
We all need a little tenderness
How can love survive in such a graceless age?
Ah...the trust and self-assurance that lead to happiness
They're the very things - we kill I guess...
Ohh pride and competition
cannot fill these empty arms
And the work I put between us
you know it doesn't keep me warm
I'm learning to live without you now
But I miss you, baby
And the more I know, the less I understand
All the things I thought I'd figured out
I have to learn again
I've been trying to get down
to the heart of the matter
But everything changes
and my friends seem to scatter
But I think it's about...forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if, you don't love me anymore
There are people in your life who've come and gone
They let you down, you know they hurt your pride
You better put it all behind you baby; cause' life goes on
If you keep carryin' that anger, it'll eat you up inside, baby
I've been trying to get down
to the heart of the matter
But my will gets weak
and my thoughts seem to scatter
But I think it's about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if you don't love me
I've been tryin' to get down
to the heart of the matter
Because the flesh will get weak
and the ashes will scatter
So I'm thinkin' about forgiveness
Forgiveness
Even if, even if, you don't love me...
Forgiveness (yeah)
Forgiveness (baby)
Forgiveness (ohh)
Forgiveness (ahh yeaaahhh)
Forgiveness (ohh)
Forgiveness
Even if, you don't love me anymore...

good