The Eagles’ timeless popularity stems from their intrinsic ability to produce hit tunes. In addition, other band members have taken on the responsibility of writing several Eagle classics despite Glenn Frey and Don Henley being the group’s significant songwriters. The well-known Eagle song “Hotel California,” written by guitarist Don Felder, illustrates this.
Looking back at the band’s vast song catalog, we can see that several of their well-loved songs weren’t solely penned by Henley and Frey. One song that comes to me is “I Can’t Tell You Why,” which was written mostly by Timothy B. Schmit, the guitarist who had just been hired at the time, for lyrics and arrangement.
The song was written by Schmit, who said that it was “loosely based on my personal experiences.” Frey, a major lover of the genre, is credited with giving the song an R&B vibe. Schmit also made his group debut with this song, which went on to become a smash and peak at no. 8 on the US Billboard Hot 100.
The group’s original music video for “I Can’t Tell You Why” is seen in the video down below. In addition to Schmit, who sang the entire song, the musicians are shown below playing the tune. Watch it right here.