Many people have experienced a relationship they know isn’t working, yet they still can’t find a way to walk away from it. That’s what makes “I Can’t Tell You Why” one of the Eagles‘ most emotionally relatable songs. What many fans don’t realize, however, is that this beloved Eagles song wasn’t introduced by Don Henley or Glenn Frey but by the band’s newest member.
In 1977, Timothy B. Schmit stepped in to replace one of the Eagles’ founding members Randy Meisner on bass guitar and vocals.
“When I first started getting together with Don and Glenn for what would become my first Eagles’ album,” recalled Schmit on the Follow Your Dream podcast with Robert Miller, “they wanted to hear what I had because they wanted me to sing at least one lead. The new guy. They wanted the new guy to sing, but … we needed a great song.”
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Schmit said “I Can’t Tell You Why” was just “a piece of song” at the point when he shared it with Henley and Frey. He remembered they “really lit up” when they heard it and told him the three of them could finish the song altogether. “I was really happy that it wasn’t a country rock song. I was glad that it was more R&B flavored,” he added, saying he was listening to a lot of Motown at that time.
“We were influenced by Al Green,” Henley explained in a 2016 interview with Musician. “‘I Can’t Tell You Why’ is straight Al Green, ’cause Glenn was a big R&B freak. He’s from Detroit, and he grew up with all that stuff.”
The smooth soft rock vibe of “I Can’t Tell You Why” coupled with the R&B influence showed off a softer, more vulnerable side for the Eagles, too. Add to that, Schmit’s soulful lead vocals, and this song really stood out among the other classics in the band’s catalog.
The lyrics and the story behind them resonated with so many fans as well. The song captured the relatable push-pull of a troubled relationship. It captured that tough emotional space of loving someone despite there being ongoing problems. “Every time I try to walk away / Something makes me turn around and stay,” Schmit sings, “And I can’t tell you why.”
Photo by Michael Putland on Getty Images
Not only did the “new guy” help inspire and co-write one of the Eagles’ most enduring ballads, but he brought a freshness to band’s sound. The iconic hit was the first lead vocal to be completed on their sixth studio album The Long Run, which released in September 1979. “I Can’t Tell You Why” was released as the third single from that album in early February 1980. By the end of February, the track debuted on the Billboard charts, and by mid-April, it peaked at No. 3 on the Billboard Adult Contemporary and No. 8 on the Billboard Hot 100.
Almost five decades later, the song continues to sustain popularity on radio stations, and it has more than 158 million streams just on Spotify, to date. In recent published rankings, the soulful groove hit was included in the Top 15 Eagles song lists by both Billboard (No. 6) and Gold Radio (No. 7), and fans on Ranker have upvoted the hit to No. 11 on their list of all-time best Eagles songs. Modern country singer Vince Gill covered the song in 1993, and Canadian jazz singer and pianist Diana Krall did her own rendition in 2015.
“I Can’t Tell You Why” was brought to the table by the new guy. It became the last Eagles top 10 hit—and the one most people never forget.
Watch the official video for “I Can’t Tell You Why” by the Eagles:
Listen to Vince Gill’s cover of “I Can’t Tell You Why”:
Check out the Diana Krall cover of “I Can’t Tell You Why”:
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