“Learn to be Still” by Eagles

We already know based on past research that when it comes to dropping palpably-deep lyrics, few rock musicians, if any, are as consistently effective as Don Henley. In other words, in tracks like “Learn to Be Still” for instance yes, there are metaphors, if you will, being tossed about aplenty. But it isn’t such that a listener will end up scratching their head, trying to figure out what the vocalist is getting at.

And with that said, we too will strive not to overanalyze this song. There’s this old saying in the Bible that goes something like ‘the kingdom of heaven lies within’. It is that particular concept which appears to be at the heart of “Learn to Be Still”.

Or put differently, the point being made here is that seeking spiritual fulfillment through external means is an act of vanity. For instance, the first verse seems to center on someone who has in fact purchased their own personal slice of “paradise”, only to still find themselves, most simply put, dissatisfied.

The second verse speaks to how the masses have a tendency to put their faith in questionable religious leaders and concepts in search, once again, of spiritual fulfillment. 

The third verse basically puts the onus on the individual to propagate their own ‘awakening’, further putting forth that the world is actually in need of people who genuinely take such initiative.

“Learn to be Still”

And as far as the title goes, what Henley and the gang are further asserting is that the latter isn’t achieved through any type of hoopla or materialism but rather by “learn(ing) to be still”, i.e. through an internally-based, introspective approach. And that particular notion too reads as if it was specifically inspired by yet another part of the Bible.

Facts about “Learn to be Still”

“Learn to Be Still” is an Eagles’ track you probably never heard of since it far outdates the quartet’s heyday of the 1970s. 

It was released on 8 November 1994 as part of a project titled “Hell Freezes Over”, the live album the Eagles put out upon reuniting, after having disbanded in 1980. 

Even though “Hell Freezes Over” is primarily a live album, it also contained four new studio tracks by the band. All four tracks, including “Learn to Be Still”, were issued as singles via Geffen Records,

“Learn to be Still” did manage to chart in the US and Canada.

This song was written by Eagles’ frontman Don Henley alongside Stan Lynch, the latter of whom at the time had recently parted ways with Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers. Lynch also produced this track with Rob Jacobs and the Eagles in their entirety.