The Eagles’ Greatest Diss Song Captured the Band at Its Breaking Point

American rock band The Eagles was one of the biggest bands to emerge in the 1970s. The iconic group is renowned for its smooth, harmonious vocals and memorable, well-crafted songwriting, penning hits such as "Hotel California" and "Peaceful Easy Feeling," among others. But, like so many other popular musical groups, the band was frequently plagued with tension and conflict due to internal and external factors.

During the height of their fame, the band faced a particularly trying time as the pressures of the music industry began to wear them down. Despite being at odds with each other and on the brink of breaking up, they produced some of their most powerful songs. One track in particular, "The Long Run", remains a testament to the resentment they felt within the group and toward fame as a whole, and it has since become one of their most poignant songs aimed at the frustrations and pressures of life in the limelight.

The Eagles' 'The Long Run' Revealed the Pressures of Fame

On September 24, 1979, The Eagles released their sixth studio album titled The Long Run. The album was highly anticipated as it followed the release of their 1976 breakthrough hit album and (the same-titled song) Hotel California. Due to the success of their last work, the group felt intense pressure from music executives to deliver another smash hit. On top of this, the members were experiencing the typical highs and lows of fame, which eventually took a harsh toll on their personal lives. “We’d been living this lifestyle of limos, private jets, first-class hotels, and people doing what you told them to,” said Glenn Frey during a 1992 interview with The Independent. “Plus, both [Don] Henley and I had developed drug habits, which didn’t help matters. Going to the studio was like going to school—I simply didn’t want to go.” It was under these and other stressful conditions that the group wrote the lead single to their sixth album, also titled "The Long Run". The nearly four-minute-long track included many stirring and reflective lyrics that perfectly showcased the struggles the band experienced:

I used to hurry a lot, I used to worry a lot

I used to stay out 'til the break of day

Oh, that didn't get it, it was high time I quit it

I just couldn't carry on that way

- The Long Run

During a 2016 interview with Rolling Stone Magazine, the Eagles' singer and co-writer of "The Long Run", Don Henley, revealed that the song was aimed at the band's music critics. "Disco had exploded, and punk was on the rise. We were beginning to see press articles about how we were passe. Those kinds of jabs were part of the inspiration for the song 'The Long Run': 'Who is gonna make it / We'll find out in the long run.'"

Don Henely Hints That The Eagles Could Be Retiring

There is no doubt that the Eagles, now consisting of members Don Henley, Joe Walsh, Timothy B. Schmit, and Vince Gill, have had an impressive career spanning several decades. However, after five number one singles, six number one albums, countless tours, six Grammy Awards, and induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, it appears the group may be stepping back indefinitely.

Henley revealed in a recent interview with CBS's Sunday Morning the crushing news for fans: “You know, I think this year will probably be it [for the group],” he confessed, adding, "And I’ve said things like that before, but I feel like we’re getting toward the end. And that will be fine too.” When asked for further clarification on whether 2026 would be the end of the Eagles, the band's founding member remained stoic, stating, “I think so, yeah.”

And while the group is currently wrapping up an extensive series of concerts at the Las Vegas Sphere (set to end in March), Henley added that he is at peace with the decision to step back. “I’m okay with [the end]. Because I would like to spend more time with my family, and I would like to spend more time growing vegetables. I’ve traveled all over the world, but I haven’t seen much of it, because we see the airports and the hotel room and the venue, and we don’t get out much, you know?”